Novel evidence for apoptotic cell response and differential signals in chromatin condensation and DNA cleavage in victorin-treated oats.

Histological and cytological evidence of where and when apoptotic cells occur in Pc-2/Vb oat cells treated with victorin was obtained by observing DNA strand breaks at both light (LM) and electron microscope (EM) levels using TUNEL techniques. DNA from leaf segments that had been floated on victorin solution with the abaxial epidermis removed showed typical ladders on agarose gels. Nuclear chromatin condensation, followed by cell collapse, started in the mesophyll cells closest to the victorin solution. LM-TUNEL was positive in the non-collapsed cells but not in the collapsed cells in the treated leaves. However, the EM-TUNEL assay was positive in the nuclei of the non-collapsed as well as the collapsed cells where nuclear fragments dispersed into the cytoplasm, and the immunogold density was much higher than that in the cells killed by a high concentration of H2O2, suggesting that the victorin-treated collapsed cells are in the last stage of apoptotic cell death. The immunogold labelling in the victorin-treated non-collapsed cells was restricted to condensed heterochromatin, indicating that chromatin condensation is associated with DNA cleavage. Pharmacological studies indicated that proteases and nucleases may play a role in the apoptotic response. However, the EM-TUNEL assay indicated that EGTA co-incubated with victorin blocked DNA cleavage, but failed to prevent chromatin condensation. Moreover, protein kinases were involved in chromatin condensation, but did not affect DNA digestion, suggesting that chromatin condensation and DNA cleavage are differentially regulated in the death process in oats.