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Identifying Different Types of Chromatin Using Giemsa Staining

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Functional Analysis of DNA and Chromatin

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1094))

Abstract

Mixtures of polychrome methylene blue-eosin Y (i.e., Giemsa stain) are widely used in biological staining. They induce a striking purple coloration of chromatin DNA (the Romanowsky-Giemsa effect), which contrasts with the blue-stained RNA-containing cytoplasm and nucleoli. After specific prestaining treatments that induce chromatin disorganization (giving banded or harlequin chromosomes), Giemsa staining produces a differential coloration, with C- and G-bands appearing in purple whereas remaining chromosome regions are blue. Unsubstituted (TT) and bromo-substituted (BT) DNAs also appear purple and blue, respectively. The same occurs in the case of BT and BB chromatids.

In addition to discussing the use of Giemsa stain as a suitable method to reveal specific features of chromosome structure, some molecular processes and models are also described to explain Giemsa staining mechanisms of chromatin.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Cañete, J. Espada, and A. Villanueva for valuable collaboration. This work was supported by a grant (CTQ2010-20870-C03-03) from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Juan C. Stockert & Alfonso Blázquez-Castro

  2. School of Life Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    Richard W. Horobin

Authors
  1. Juan C. Stockert
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  2. Alfonso Blázquez-Castro
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  3. Richard W. Horobin
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Autonomous University of Madrid Faculty of Sciences, Madrid, Spain

    Juan C. Stockert

  2. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Jesús Espada

  3. Department of Biology, Autonomous University of Madrid Faculty of Sciences, Madrid, Spain

    Alfonso Blázquez-Castro

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Stockert, J.C., Blázquez-Castro, A., Horobin, R.W. (2014). Identifying Different Types of Chromatin Using Giemsa Staining. In: Stockert, J., Espada, J., Blázquez-Castro, A. (eds) Functional Analysis of DNA and Chromatin. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1094. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-706-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-706-8_3

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-705-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-706-8

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