Sudan II-glucuronide

[Brian H. Taylor]

In response to my earlier message regarding Nancy Terryn's rha1 work, 
Ellen Kearns wrote:

> Brian Taylor of Texas A&M responded from the plant bio net to say 
> that Nancy Terryn's paper was great and he had some questions about 
> the new GUS reactant, Sudan II-glucuride. Does local diffusion 
> compare with that of X-gluc? I think 
> the paper said that because sudan II-g product is a crystal there is no 
> diffusion. 

The X-Glux product, indigo, also forms crystals but 
stained tissues often show diffusion, most likely because the initial 
X-gluc breakdown product, an indoxyl, must be oxidized, dimerize and 
then crystallize.  The paper stated that the Sudan II product forms 
crystals directly and is "highly localized".  That may say it all, 
but some elaboration on the results of side by side comparisons 
between X-gluc and Sudan II-glucuronide would be useful.  Also, if 
any netters have comments on treatments they have found effective for 
limiting indigo diffusion or have recommendations for other 
alternative substrates I would like to hear them.  And, while we're 
on the subject, in a paper by De Block and Debrouwer (Plant J. 2:261-
266) a reference was made to indigo white, which apparently arises 
under highly oxidative conditions.  If anyone has any information on 
this product and whether it might indeed be a factor in GUS staining 
I would appreciate the information. 

 


Brian H. Taylor                         *
Dept. of Biology, Texas A&M University  *  When we try to pick out
College Station, TX  77843-3258         *  anything by itself, we
                                        *  find it hitches to every-
Phone:  (409) 845-7754                  *  thing in the universe.
FAX:    (409) 845-2891                  *             John Muir
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