Flow cytometric analysis of nocodazole-induced cell-cycle arrest in the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin

The microtubule inhibitor, nocodazole (2.5 mg L^-1), can arrest the cell cycle of the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin at G₂ + M phase. Flow cytometric analysis of cells treated with nocodazole suggest that the proportion of cells at G₂ + M phase can accumulate to over 95%. Even after a 48-h treatment with nocodazole (2.5 mg L^-1), the cells can still exit mitosis, suggesting that the cell-cycle arrest is reversible. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.