Propidium iodide for making heterochromatin more evident in the C-banding technique.
Biotech Histochem 2012;
87:433-8. [PMID:
22747174 DOI:
10.3109/10520295.2012.696700]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of regions of heterochromatin has been the subject of intense investigation. We investigated an adaptation of the commonly used technique by replacing the nonfluorescent dye, Giemsa, by a fluorescent one, propidium iodide. This adaptation produces greater contrast of the heterochromatic bands in metaphase chromosomes and can be especially valuable when the organisms studied possess heterochromatin that is pale and difficult to visualize. We discuss the interactions of these two dyes with DNA and the excitation of the fluorescent dye when irradiated with ultraviolet light.
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