In this video, we describe the Wiesner staining technique for staining the lignin present in specialized plant cells. This staining technique helps to visualize the lignified cell walls in Arabidopsis thaliana stems and helps to quantify the lignification in the cell walls of different types of cells.
Protocol
1. Stem Embedding Make a 7% agarose solution in water (7 g of electrophoresis-grade agarose in 100 ml distilled water). Dissolve the agarose by autoclaving for 20 min or by microwaving for 20 min at lowest intensity (e.g., 10% intensity of a 1,250-watt microwave). Prepare a homemade mold for embedding the stems using plastic vials. Using a razor blade, cut off the conical bottom of a 2 ml screw-cap microcentrifuge tube (Part A). With a syringe needle, puncture a hole in the…
Representative Results
Figure 1. Homemade mold for embedding the stems. On the left side; top of the 2 ml screw-cap microcentrifuge tube (Part A) and the bottom from the 0.6 ml microcentrifuge tube (Part B). On the right side; the Parafilm holding the two parts; A and B to form the final mold. Figure 2. Phloroglucinol-HCl sta…
Wiesner Staining for Visualizing Lignin: A Technique to Stain Lignin Deposits Present in Stems of Arabidopsis Thaliana. J. Vis. Exp. (Pending Publication), e21057, doi: (2023).