Handling Arabidopsis and Other Brassicaceae: Growth, Preservation of Seeds, Transformation, and Genetic Crosses.

Achieving optimal plant growth is essential for the advancement of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) research. Over the last 20 years, the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC) has collected and developed a series of best-practice protocols, some of which are presented in this chapter. Arabidopsis can be grown in a variety of locations, growth media, and environmental conditions. Some mutant genotypes, natural accessions, and Arabidopsis relatives require strictly controlled growth conditions best provided by growth rooms, chambers, or incubators. Other lines can be grown in less-controlled greenhouse settings. Although the majority of lines can be grown in soil, certain experimental purposes require utilization of sterile solid or liquid growth media. These include the selection of primary transformants, identification of homozygous lethal individuals in a segregating population, or bulking of a large amount of plant material. The importance of controlling, observing, and recording growth conditions is emphasized and appropriate equipment for monitoring these conditions is listed. Proper conditions for seed harvest and preservation, as well as seed quality control procedures, are also described. In addition, plant transformation and genetic crosses, two of the methods that revolutionized Arabidopsis genetics, are discussed.

Handling Arabidopsis plants: growth, preservation of seeds, transformation, and genetic crosses.

Growing healthy plants is essential for the advancement of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) research. Over the last 20 years, the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC) has collected and developed a series of best-practice protocols, some of which are presented in this chapter. Arabidopsis can be grown in a variety of locations, growth media, and environmental conditions. Most laboratory accessions and their mutant or transgenic derivatives flower after 4-5 weeks and set seeds after 7-8 weeks, under standard growth conditions (soil, long day, 23 ºC). Some mutant genotypes, natural accessions, and Arabidopsis relatives require strict control of growth conditions best provided by growth rooms, chambers, or incubators. Other lines can be grown in less-controlled greenhouse settings. Although the majority of lines can be grown in soil, certain experimental purposes require utilization of sterile solid or liquid growth media. These include the selection of primary transformants, identification of homozygous lethal individuals in a segregating population, or bulking of a large amount of plant material. The importance of controlling, observing, and recording growth conditions is emphasized and appropriate equipment required to perform monitoring of these conditions is listed. Proper conditions for seed harvesting and preservation, as well as seed quality control, are also described. Plant transformation and genetic crosses, two of the methods that revolutionized Arabidopsis genetics, are introduced as well.

Growth of plants and preservation of seeds.

This chapter focuses on growth of plants on agar and soil in various environmental settings and especially in growth chambers and greenhouses. Harvesting, seed quality, and seed preservation are also considered. In addition, this chapter elaborates the conditions that are critical to the growth and development of healthy plants that produce high quality and quantity of seeds. The plant and seed management methods are discussed in the chronological order in which they would normally be utilized.