Perchloric Acid in the Cytochemistry of Pentose Nucleic Acid

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Abstract
Cold 10% perchloric acid will remove pentose nucleic acid (PNA) but not desoxypentosenucleic acid (DNA), while hot 5% perchloric acid will remove both DNA and PNA from tissues. Primary root tips of Zea mays seedlings, fixed in 75% alcohol for 48 hrs., dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 8 m, mounted on slides, deparaffinized, and brought to water, are divided into 4 comparable groups subsequently treated as follows: (1) 10% perchloric acid at 4[degree]C for 18 hrs.; (2) control for (1), water at 4[degree]C for 18 hrs.; (3) 5% perchloric acid for 20 min. at 70[degree]C; (4) control for (3), water at 70[degree]C for 20 min. Slides and their controls are washed, placed in a clip, dehydrated, and stained for 3 hrs. in a 1% soln. of toluidine blue in 75% alcohol; they are then destained in n-butyl alcohol, cleared in xylene and mounted. After this treatment, cells of (2) and (4) have cytoplasm, chromosomes, and nucleoli well-stained; those of (1) show only the chromosomes stained; and those of (3) take no stain at all.

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