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Propidium ion enters viable cells with high membrane potential during live-dead staining
Christian Kirchhoff1, Heribert Cypionka1
1Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl-von-Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
Journal of Microbiological Methods
|September 21, 2017
Abstract:
Live-dead staining with propidium iodide can give erroneous results for bacteria showing high membrane potentials. We observed uptake of propidium ions across intact cell membranes for Dinoroseobacter shibae and Bacillus subtilis. Apparently, a high membrane potential facilitates breakthrough of the double-charged propidium ion and can mark viable cells as dead.

