A workflow for absolute apoplastic pH assessment during live cell imaging in plant roots.

Abstract

Apoplastic pH is a key regulator of plant development and environmental responses, influencing processes such as cell expansion, nutrient uptake, and intercellular signaling. Accurate tools for measuring absolute pH values at high spatial resolution are therefore essential, yet limiting. Here, we present a novel calibration-based workflow for the in vivo quantification of absolute apoplastic pH using the fluorescent pH indicator HPTS. While HPTS has previously been used primarily to track relative pH changes, our novel methodology enables precise absolute pH measurement through a simplified calibration strategy and a tailor-made Fiji Plugin. This approach offers a non-invasive, reproducible tool for investigating absolute extracellular pH with high spatial resolution, expanding the methodological toolbox available to plant physiologists.