Application of the comet assay in studies of programmed cell death (PCD) in plants

Programmed cell death (PCD) in plants is an intensively investigated process. One of the main characteristics of PCD in both animal and plant organisms is the non-random, internucleosomal fragmentation of nuclear DNA, usually analysed using total DNA gel electrophoresis or TUNEL method. In this pape...

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Published inActa Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae Vol. 69; no. 2; pp. 101 - 107
Main Authors Charzyńska, Maria, Simeonova, Ewa, Sikora, Adam, Mostowska, Agnieszka, Leśniewska, Joanna
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Warsaw Polish Botanical Society 01.01.2000
Subjects
Apoptosis
Cell death
Cell walls
Comet assay
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA fragmentation
Endosperm
Gel electrophoresis
Life cycles
Mesophyll
programmed cell death (PCD) in plants
protoplasts
Senescence
tapetum
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Summary:Programmed cell death (PCD) in plants is an intensively investigated process. One of the main characteristics of PCD in both animal and plant organisms is the non-random, internucleosomal fragmentation of nuclear DNA, usually analysed using total DNA gel electrophoresis or TUNEL method. In this paper we present application of the "comet assay" (Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis) for detection of nDNA degradation in studies of PCD during plant life cycle. We analyzed three types of tissue: anther tapetum, endosperm and mesophyll which were prepared in different ways to obtain a suspension of viable cells (without cell walls). The comet assay gives a possibility of examination of the nDNA degradation in individual cell. This method is significant for studies of the plant tissue differentiation and senescence especially in the cases when it is not possible to isolate large number of cells at the same developmental stage.
ISSN:0001-6977
2083-9480
DOI:10.5586/asbp.2000.012