Optical Property Analyses of Plant Cells for Adaptive Optics Microscopy

In astronomy, adaptive optics (AO) can be used to cancel aberrations caused by atmospheric turbulence and to perform diffraction-limited observation of astronomical objects from the ground. AO can also be applied to microscopy, to cancel aberrations caused by cellular structures and to perform high-resolution live imaging. As a step toward the application of AO to microscopy, here we analyzed the optical properties of plant cells. We used leaves of the moss Physcomitrella patens, which have a single layer of cells and are thus suitable for optical analysis. Observation of the cells with bright field and phase contrast microscopy, and image degradation analysis using fluorescent beads demonstrated that chloroplasts provide the main source of optical degradations. Unexpectedly, the cell wall, which was thought to be a major obstacle, has only a minor effect. Such information provides the basis for the application of AO to microscopy for the observation of plant cells.