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Comparison of three DNA fluorochromes for flow cytometric estimation of nuclear DNA content in plants
Author(s) -
Doležel Jaroslav,
Sgorbati Sergio,
Lucretti Sergio
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1992.tb04764.x
Subject(s) - propidium iodide , nuclear dna , dna , dapi , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , staining , biochemistry , genetics , mitochondrial dna , apoptosis , gene , programmed cell death
Flow cytometric estimation of nuclear DNA content was performed in six plant species employing three fluorochromes showing different DNA base preferences: propidium iodide (no base preference), 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI; AT preference), and mithramycin (GC preference). Nuclei isolated from human leukocytes were used as a primary reference standard. While nuclear DNA contents estimated using propidium iodide were in agreement with published data obtained using other techniques, the values obtained using fluorochromes showing base preference were significantly different. It was found that the differences were caused by the differences in overall AT/GC ratios, and by the species‐specific differences in binding of these fluorochromes to DNA. It was concluded that nuclear DNA content estimations performed with fluorochromes showing base preference should be interpreted with caution even when AT/GC ratios of the reference and the sample are equal. The use of intercalting dyes (e.g. propidium iodide) is recommended for this purpose. On the other hand, comparison of the staining behaviour of intercalating dyes with that of dyes showing base preference may give additional information on chromatin structural differences and arrangement of molecule pairs in DNA.