|Kladnik, Ales - UNIV OF LJUBLJANA|
|Chamusco, Karen - UNIV OF FLORIDA|
|Dermastia, Marina - UNIV OF LJUBLJANA|
Submitted to: Trade Journal Publication
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 29, 2005
Publication Date: May 15, 2005
Citation: Kladnik, A., Chamusco, K., Chourey, P.S. 2005. Dermastia, M. In situ detection of programmed cell death in maize caryopsis. Periodicum Biologorum. 107(1):11-16. Interpretive Summary: Programmed cell death (PCD) is one of the major processes in development of multicellular organisms. In previous studies we documented PCD in development of the placento-chalazal (P-C) layer, a transport tissue at the base of caryopsis of maize (Zea mays L.). In this paper we present the use of microscopy methods for the study of PCD in plant tissues.
Technical Abstract: Programmed cell death (PCD), as the name implies, is a genetic program that allows certain cells to die at a specific time and place in the body to allow normal development in all living organisms. Failed PCD can have serious consequences including disease and abnormal development. Despite its importance there is no comprehensive set of methods to study this phenomenon at cellular level in plants. A collaborative study between scientists from University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and Crop Genetics & Environmental Research Unit at Gainesville, led to the development of several such methods to study PCD in crop plants. The methods described here are well tested in the investigators' laboratory, can be used on microscopic quantity of specimen and will allow the study of PCD in a single cell to numerous cells inside a tissue (in situ). These methods will greatly facilitate detection of PCD in plants that may occur due to various stimuli, including the environmental stress.