Preliminary attempts at ultrastructural polysaccharide localization in root tip cells.

Abstract

A basic method and many variations are described which initially appear to give good ultrastructural localization of polysaccharide material and also sulfhydryl groups in sections of plant tissues. Using permanganate fixation, alkaline silver hexamine solutions very strongly stained cell walls and starch grains (if they survived the treatment) in thin sections; in root cap and epidermal cells, Golgi bodies and associated vesicles also strongly reacted. The reaction was markedly reduced if sections were pretreated with aldehyde-complexing reagents (dimedone, etc.) and reintroduced after such blocking reactions by further periodate oxidation. Apart from a variable unspecific argentophilic reac..