Detection of lipids in the plant meristematic cell with the aid of Sudan black staining

As lipids can be a source of artefacts during intracellular localization of enzymes by cytochemical methodsin situ it was the aim of the present work to obtain orientation data on the distribution of lipids in the meristematic plant cells. The different fixation and object embedding methods examined revealed that it is best to fix the material by some formol fixative and without chroming, to embed it in polyethyleneglycol media. An alcoholic solution of Sudan black was found to be most reliable. In the meristematio cells the cytoplasm is usually stained more intensely than the nucleus. The ground cytoplasm is stained weakly while cytoplasmic particles are stained intensely. In some cases an intense black staining of nuclei, particularly in the prolongation zone, can be achieved. The staining intensity of cell components does not decrease on extracting lipids with pyridine. After extracting the dye from stained cell components a browninsh residual coloration remains. Chromatography of Sudan black revealed in all the samples tested slowly moving spots (blue and violet) and rapidly moving ones (red II, yellow, red I, colourless).