Summary
A microtechnique for the detection of DNA or RNA in small numbers of plant cells (1–50) has been developed using cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) infection of turnip as a model system. Both DNA and RNA extracted from 10 mesophyll protoplasts from CaMV-infected plants can be detected by hybridization using a radioactive probe made from cloned CaMV DNA (pCaMV10). No hybridization above background was detected in extracts of protoplasts from uninfected plants. At least 0.15 pg (11 000 molecules) of purified pCaMV10 DNA can be detected. This method is superior to existing ‘macro’ techniques for nucleic acid detection as smaller amounts of tissue are required and the detection is approximately 100-fold more sensitive. re]19850326 rv]19850530 ac]19850611
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ThomasPS: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:5201–5205, 1980.
WhiteBA, BancroftFC: J Biol Chem 257:8569–8572, 1982.
ManzariV, GalloRC, FranchiniG, WestinE, Ceccherini-NelliL, PopovicM, Wong-StaalF: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:11–15, 1983.
HowarthAJ, GardnerRC, MessingJ, ShepherdRJ: Virology 112:678–685, 1981.
Maniatis T, Fritsch EF, Sambrook J: Molecular Cloning, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 309 ff, 1982.
GardnerRC, HowarthAJ, HahnP, Brown-LuediM, ShepherdRJ, MessingJ: Nucleic Acids Res 9:2871–2887, 1981.
ShewmakerCK, CatonJR, HouckCM, GardnerRC: Virology 140:281–288, 1985.
HullR, CoveySN: Nucleic Acids Res 11:1881–1895, 1983.
HullR, CoveySN: Trends in Biochem Sci 88:19–121, 1983.
EdstromJE: In: PrescottDM (ed) Methods in cell physiology. Academic Press, New York, 1964, pp 417–447.
ScalengheF, TurcoE, EdstromJE, PirrottaV, MelliM: Chromosoma (Berl) 82:205–216, 1981.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Crossway, A., Houck, C.M. A microassay for detection of DNA and RNA in small numbers of plant cells. Plant Mol Biol 5, 183–190 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00015682
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00015682