Cytometry and flow cytometry of 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI)‐stained suspensions of nuclei released from fresh and fixed tissues of plants

Abstract

Cytometry and flow cytometry were used to study characteristics of fluorescence of the DNA‐DAPI complex in nuclei released from different fresh and formaldehyde‐fixed pea ( Pisum sativum L. cv. Lincoln) tissues. The two methods of isolation are compared and discussed as well as their possible use for quantitative analysis of DNA in plant tissues. With fixed tissues it is possible to obtain a number of nuclei sufficient for the flow cytometric analysis, even using small amounts of plant tissue.