Nucleolar and nucleolus organiser regions activity in tea as visualised by silver staining

Abstract

Nucleoli and Nucleolus regions (NORs) in diploid, triploid and tetraploid tea (Camellia sinensis L.) were stained using a simplified technique of silver staining based on the colloidal two-stage method. Nucleoli were visualised in interphase nuclei as black spots against a yellow background. The mode of nucleolar number corresponded to multiples of the somatic cell number and was a good marker for ploidy. Mitotic metaphase chromosomes were stained yellow to golden brown with strongly contrasting NORs appearing as black segments.