Studying the Organization of the Actin Cytoskeleton in the Multicellular Trichomes of Tomato

Trichomes are unique polarized cells of the plant epidermis that provide an excellent model system for studying the plant cytoskeleton. Unlike Arabidopsis trichomes that are unicellular with a typical three-branch shape, the trichomes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are multicellular with additional morphology and function diversity. Technically, it is hard to image tomato trichomes at the subcellular level because of their size and because they can be easily damaged. Here, we describe the methods we have used for the visualization and quantification of cytoskeletal arrangements in tomato trichomes which are at different developmental stages, using both live-cell imaging and phalloidin staining after fixation.