Destruction of organelle nuclei during spermatogenesis inChara corallina examined by staining with DAPI and anti-DNA antibody

Summary The behavior of plastid and mitochondrial nuclei (synonymous with nucleoids) during spermatogenesis inChara corallina was examined by fluorescence microscopy after staining with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). These organelle nuclei, which were present in internode cells and cells at the early spermatid stage, disappeared during spermatogenesis. This conclusion was confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy using of a monoclonal anti-DNA antibody. The pattern of fluorescence obtained using the antibody coincided with that obtained by staining with DAPI. These results suggest that the disappearance of nuclei from male-derived organelles is most likely to result in maternal inheritance inChara corallina.