Open AccessMitotic activity and changes in DNA content during Zea mays L. endosperm development
Author(s) -
H Kuran,
Kazimierz Marciniak
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta societatis botanicorum poloniae
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 2083-9480
pISSN - 0001-6977
DOI - 10.5586/asbp.2002.023
Subject(s) - endosperm , endoreduplication , mitosis , chromatin , feulgen stain , biology , nuclear dna , dna , microbiology and biotechnology , ploidy , botany , biochemistry , mitochondrial dna , gene
Mitotic activity and nuclear DNA content in endosperm of Zea mays cv. Złota Karłowa were examined. DNA content was cytophotometrically measured on squashed preparations after Feulgen procedure. Mitotic activity in endosperm was determined till the stage when embryo sack reached 4.5 mm in length. Some of mitotic figures show multiplied DNA content. Endosperm nuclei have various DNA contents which increase throughout endosperm development. DNA content enhancement indicates endoreduplication in progress. Some nuclei with high DNA content display changes in chromatin structure, which are expressed by the presence of strands and aggregates of chromatin characterised by high staining intensity. A conclusion has been drawn that mitotic divisions and the endoreduplication phase of nuclear DNA may occur simultaneously and dominate one over another at different phases of endosperm development