Application of Flow Microflorometry to the Study of Algal Cells and Isolated Chloroplasts

Abstract

The applicability of flow microfluorometry (FMF) to the study of chlorophyll-containing cells was investigated through the use of the blue-green alga Agmenellum quadruplicatum, the green algae Trebouxia, Chlorella, and Euglena spp., and isolated spinach chloroplasts. When excited by laser radiation (488 nm), algal cells emitted fluorescence with intensity positively related to the chloro-phyll content. The chlorophyll fluorescent signals were used further as a differential criterion in determining relative size based on light scattering logic and to sort mixtures of algal cells having different chlorophyll content The FMF also was useful in estimating nucleic acid and protein content in completely dechlorophyUized algal cells with the use of ethidium bromide (EB) and fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC), respectively.