Summary
Succinic dehydrogenase activity was determined in fresh or cryostat sections of tissues from Allium cepa, Vicia faba, Pisum sativum and Helianthus tuberosus using different tetrazolium salts as electron accepters. In 10 μ fresh or frozen sections a reaction was obtained with TNBT, NBT, MTT, and INT but not with NT, BT or TTC. In contrast a reaction was obtained with each of the tetrazolium salts in 50–150 μ fresh or frozen sections. The observed differences in the abilities of the tetrazolium salts to demonstrate succinic dehydrogenase activity are discussed.
The sites of acceptance of electrons from the electron transport pathway in plant cells by the tetrazolium salts has been demonstrated cytochemically, and shown to differ from those observed in animal cells in that unlike animal cells, there is no apparent acceptance of electrons by MTT and INT from cytochrome C1-C region of the pathway.
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Gahan, P.B., Kalina, M. The use of tetrazolium salts in the histochemical demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase activity in plant tissues. Histochemistry Histochimie 14, 81–88 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268035
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268035