Hydrostatic pressure enhances vital staining with carboxyfluorescein or carboxydichlorofluorescein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: efficient detection of labeled yeasts by flow cytometry.

The extent of intracellular accumulation of the fluorescent dye carboxyfluorescein or carboxydichlorofluorescein (CDCF) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to be increased 5- to 10-fold under a nonlethal hydrostatic pressure of 30 to 50 MPa. This observation was confirmed by analysis of individual labeled cells by flow cytometry. The pressure-induced enhancement of staining with CDCF required D-glucose and was markedly inhibited by 2-deoxy-D-glucose, suggesting that glucose metabolism has a role in the process.