Biomaterial Database

Estimation of relative nuclear DNA content in dehydrated plant tissues by flow cytometry. 2006

Jan Suda, and Pavel Trávnícek

Charles University in Prague and Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.

The power of flow cytometry in field plant research may be greatly enhanced by analysis of nonfresh tissues. Previous attempts to use chemical fixatives, however, received only little attention because of protocol complexity and limited time, after which successful assays were achieved. This unit describes simple and rapid procedures for relative nuclear DNA content estimation in dehydrated tissues of vascular plants by DAPI flow cytometry. Histograms with reasonable resolution can be obtained in several-year-old specimens. The approach here is particularly suitable for reliable determination of DNA ploidy level, although detection of small variation in nuclear DNA content is also possible in many cases. Retrospective ploidy inference in silica-dry or herbarium vouchers and simplified transport of plant material from remote areas are among the principal benefits for plant biosystematics, ecology, and population biology.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002467	Cell Nucleus	Within a eukaryotic cell, a membrane-limited body which contains chromosomes and one or more nucleoli (CELL NUCLEOLUS). The nuclear membrane consists of a double unit-type membrane which is perforated by a number of pores; the outermost membrane is continuous with the ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM. A cell may contain more than one nucleus. (From Singleton & Sainsbury, Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2d ed)	Cell Nuclei,Nuclei, Cell,Nucleus, Cell
D002468	Cell Physiological Phenomena	Cellular processes, properties, and characteristics.	Cell Physiological Processes,Cell Physiology,Cell Physiological Phenomenon,Cell Physiological Process,Physiology, Cell,Phenomena, Cell Physiological,Phenomenon, Cell Physiological,Physiological Process, Cell,Physiological Processes, Cell,Process, Cell Physiological,Processes, Cell Physiological
D002477	Cells	The fundamental, structural, and functional units or subunits of living organisms. They are composed of CYTOPLASM containing various ORGANELLES and a CELL MEMBRANE boundary.	Cell
D003890	Desiccation	Removal of moisture from a substance (chemical, food, tissue, etc.).	Dessication
D005434	Flow Cytometry	Technique using an instrument system for making, processing, and displaying one or more measurements on individual cells obtained from a cell suspension. Cells are usually stained with one or more fluorescent dyes specific to cell components of interest, e.g., DNA, and fluorescence of each cell is measured as it rapidly transverses the excitation beam (laser or mercury arc lamp). Fluorescence provides a quantitative measure of various biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell, as well as a basis for cell sorting. Other measurable optical parameters include light absorption and light scattering, the latter being applicable to the measurement of cell size, shape, density, granularity, and stain uptake.	Cytofluorometry, Flow,Cytometry, Flow,Flow Microfluorimetry,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting,Microfluorometry, Flow,Cell Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated,Cell Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated,Cytofluorometries, Flow,Cytometries, Flow,Flow Cytofluorometries,Flow Cytofluorometry,Flow Cytometries,Flow Microfluorometries,Flow Microfluorometry,Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sortings,Microfluorimetry, Flow,Microfluorometries, Flow,Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated Cell,Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated Cell
D012680	Sensitivity and Specificity	Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	Specificity,Sensitivity,Specificity and Sensitivity
D018613	Microscopy, Confocal	A light microscopic technique in which only a small spot is illuminated and observed at a time. An image is constructed through point-by-point scanning of the field in this manner. Light sources may be conventional or laser, and fluorescence or transmitted observations are possible.	Confocal Microscopy,Confocal Microscopy, Scanning Laser,Laser Microscopy,Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy,Laser Scanning Microscopy,Microscopy, Confocal, Laser Scanning,Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy,Confocal Microscopies,Laser Microscopies,Laser Scanning Microscopies,Microscopies, Confocal,Microscopies, Laser,Microscopies, Laser Scanning,Microscopy, Laser,Microscopy, Laser Scanning,Scanning Microscopies, Laser,Scanning Microscopy, Laser
D018744	DNA, Plant	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of plants.	Plant DNA
D018745	Genome, Plant	The genetic complement of a plant (PLANTS) as represented in its DNA.	Plant Genome,Genomes, Plant,Plant Genomes
D019044	Image Cytometry	A technique encompassing morphometry, densitometry, neural networks, and expert systems that has numerous clinical and research applications and is particularly useful in anatomic pathology for the study of malignant lesions. The most common current application of image cytometry is for DNA analysis, followed by quantitation of immunohistochemical staining.	Cytometry, Image,Cytometries, Image,Image Cytometries