A Simple Method for Handling Grids

A simple method for handling electron microscope grids is described here. While assuring their identification and safety, this method provides improved handling, temporary storage, and identification of grids bearing ultra-thin sections, and in addition, provides a novel method for preparing bulk samples. Grids are attached at their edges to the weakly adhesive surface of a “Post-it” note pad which sits in a petri dish. The grids are safely immobilized on the pad, classified based on their location, and identified by convenient pad notation. Grid manipulation and identification are simplified using this device, which is easily assembled from readily available and inexpensive materials.     

Manipulation of Tissues for Improved Aceto-Carmine Staining

The importance of the study of the structural-mechanic properties of any particular material in order to improve the technic for aceto-carmine smears and to obtain better preparations of that material has not been, perhaps, sufficiently emphasized in the large number of papers on such cytological technic. The usefulness of such a study will be shown here in two cases met by the writer.     

Improved Staining Boxes for Fast, Uniform Staining of Ultrathin Sections on Grids

A standard LKB (LKB-Produkter Ab. S161, 45 Bromma 1, Sweden) grid storage box is converted into several grid staining boxes by sawing the body of the box into segments along rows of its grid storage cavities. the staining boxes can be cut out to any required size or shape. the polymethacrylate storage box cover is discarded. Covers for the staining boxes are cut from thin sheet vinyl, which is more chemically resistant thin polymethacrylate. Corresponding 2 mm diameter holes are drilled through the vinyl covers and the bottoms of the grid storage cavities of the staining boxes to convert the storage cavities into staining chambers. for staining, the covers are tied to the boxes with sewing thread and the assembled units are put into vials. the separate staining chambers prevent intermingling of and mechanical damage to grids during the staining procedure. Ultrathin sections are more cleanly and uniformly stained in bulk by the use of these staining boxes than they are when stained individually by a standard method.     

A Simple Method for Staining Fungal Substrate Hyphae in Agar Media

Morphogenetic processes often occur in fungal cultures in agar medium. These processes are difficult to study by light microscopy because the hyphae or other structures fail to have sufficient contrast for detailed study and photography. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a method to stain hyphae inside the agar without affecting the medium itself.     

A Rapid and Simple Method for Staining Lipid in Fixed Nematodes

A method is described for staining lipid in fourth-stage dispersal juvenile nematodes fixed with formal-acetic fixative (FA4:1). Bursaphelenchus xylophilus fourth-stage dispersal juveniles were fixed with hot FA4:1 for 24 hours, excess fixative was removed, and a solution of saturated oil red O in 96% ethanol added and allowed to sit for 25 minutes at 60 C. Excess oil red O was removed, nematodes were washed twice with 70% ethanol, and were processed to pure glycerin. Lipid droplets within the nematodes were viewed by light microscopy and appeared as dark red spheres of various sizes. Computerized image analysis was used to quantify lipid droplet area.     

A Simple Holder for Efficient Mass Staining of Thin Sections for Electron Microscopy

An inexpensive simply-constructed gridholder for reproducible staining of sections and storage of grids is made of a platelet of dental wax (Ladd No. 2460, or Belladi, rosa, normal) mounted on a glass slide. The grids are simply inserted perpendicularly into the wax and are held securely at their edges by the slightly sticky wax. Staining solutions may be applied directly to the standing grids or the gridholder may be inverted in a trough containing the staining solution, thus avoiding excessive contact with the air. Washing is carried out by dipping the gridholder in a series of beakers with distilled water or by flushing gently. The grids may be labeled directly on the slide and are therefore identified easily. The wax-gridholder eliminates excessive handling of the grids with tweezers not only during the staining procedure but as well as during storage and thus helps to prevent mechanical damage of the delicate sections mounted on the grids. Waxes other than those specified should not be used because of a tendency for particles to adhere to the grids, with the attendant possibility of column contamination.     

简单快速的DNA银染和胶保存方法

本文介绍了一套简单快速的DNA银染以及胶保存的方法,整个过程仅需10~15分钟,而且背景浅,条带清楚,灵敏度高,稳定性好。胶保存采用双层玻璃纸夹心法,可长久地保存胶显色时的原貌。以常规PAG胶检测和HLA的SSCP分型为例,利用该套方法进行了银染以及胶的保存,均得到了满意的结果。该方法具有推广价值。 Abstract:This paper introduced the simple and rapid methods of silver staining and gel preservation.It was taken only about 10 and 15 minutes to stain a gel.The background of gel was light,the bands were clear,the sensibility was high and the stabilization was well by the method of silver staining.The gel preservation adopted a method named two-layer transparent plastic paper "Sandwich" which could keep the gel with primitive colors for a long time.The methods were used on PAG checking and SSCP typing of HLA and the results were satisfactory.The set of methods are expected to be widely used in laboratories.     

A Simple and Rapid Staining Technique for Plastic Embedded Cartilage and Bone

In this report we describe a simple and rapid staining technique for cartilage and bone embedded in Araldite. Semitbin sections of embryonic vertebrae obtained from 15 to 17 day mouse fetuses were stained using an aqueous solution 0.25% with respect to methylene blue, 0.25% with respect to azure A, and 0.5% with respect to Na₂ CO₃, then counterstained with 1% aqueous pararosaniline chloride (MAP). Results were compared with toluidine blue stained sections. MAP permitted good discrimination of developmental stages of both cells and extracellular matrix within vertebral ossification centers during endochondral ossification. The technique is simple, rapid and applicable to plastic embedded sections, and can be used prior to ultrastructural examination.     

A Simple Method for Staining Nuclei of Mature and Germinated Maize Pollen

A sugar acetocannine staining technique has been developed for staining the sperm and vegetative nucleus of mature and germinated maize pollen grains. This procedure is simple, stable and highly repeatable. The physiological properties of the mature maize pollen grains are first adjusted by using an in vitro germinating culture solution. This solution is 15% sucrose and contains 360 ppm calcium chloride dihydrate, and 120 ppm boric acid. One part fresh pollen grains is uniformly mixed with nine parts of the solution and left at room temperature for at least 5 hr. One part of this solution is then mixed with two parts of regular acetocannine stain and left overnight. The color of this mixture is pinkish red or raspberry. The sugar in the mixture helps to increase color contrast between the pollen cytoplasm (light pink) and the nuclei (reddish purple), decreases the frequency of burst pollen, increases pollen expansion, stabilizes pollen figures and automatically seals the coverglass.     

一种简便经济的凝胶电泳同工酶特异染色方法

介绍一种简单、经济的同工酶染色方法：用熔化的0．4％琼脂糖处理滤纸备用,染色前将滤纸浸于同工酶染色液中,染色时将滤纸盖在聚丙烯酸胺胶上,然后将胶放在有盖塑料盒中保温染色,染色时间要比普通方法略长。染色后将胶和滤纸移入固定液中用镊子除去滤纸．     

一种简便的考马斯亮蓝G250蛋白质染色方法

介绍一种快速、简便、几乎无背景的考马斯亮蓝G250(CBB G250)染色方法.该方法所用试剂仅为稀盐酸和CBB G250, CBB G250的工作浓度为0.0015%,灵敏度达0.02 μg/带, 染色2 h达70%,4 h以上或染色过夜即可充分染色.与以往的考马斯亮蓝染色方法相比,该方法有经济方便、灵敏度高、几乎无背景等优点,便于推广应用.