OBSERVATIONS OF MITOCHONDRIA AND MITOCHONDRIAL NUCLEI BY DOUBLE STAINING WITH RHODAMINE-123 AND DAPI IN SYNCHRONOUS CULTURES OF CATHARANTHUS-ROSEUS

Mitochondria in cells of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don in synchronous cell division cultures were observed by double staining using fluorescence microscopy. The cells were stained with 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) first and subsequently stained with rhodamine 123 (r-123). Immediately after staining with r-123, yellowish-green, elongated and moving mitochondria were observed upon excitation at 485 nm. When the excitation filters were replaced by a UV filter (360 nm), 1 to 7 mitochondrial nucleoids were visible in each mitochondrion in the same field. Changes in the lengths of mitochondria during the cell cycle obtained from the observations under fluorescence microscopy by this staining method suggest the occurrence of multiplication of mitochondria concurrent with the cell cycle of C. roseus.