Basic dyes in the staining of DNA-phosphate groups and DNA-aldehyde molecules in cell nuclei

A novel method is presented for the staining of cell nuclei with aqueous solutions of Janus blue, methylene blue, and Janus red in tissue sections from which RNA has been extracted selectively with cold phosphoric acid. Not only this, DNA-aldehyde molecules can also be stained when tissue sections from which RNA has been extracted are then hydrolysed in 6 N hydrochloric acid at 30 degrees C for 15 min followed by staining with Janus blue, methylene blue, and Janus red. Following staining with any of these dyes, sections can be dried between folds of filter paper and then treated with n-butanol or passed through grades of ethanol, cleared in xylene and mounted. Staining with Janus blue has been considered to be metachromatic, particularly in the sections of the rectum in which glycogen stains blue-black and the nuclei purplish. An aqueous solution of methylene blue does also stain glycogen blue with similar colour of the nuclei while with Janus red both the nuclei as well as glycogen stain red. The in situ absorption spectra of the nuclei stained with the dyes mentioned, after selective extraction of RNA, reveal peaks of maximum absorption at 560-570 nm (Janus blue), at 600 and 640 nm (methylene blue), and at 530 nm (Janus red). Those of nuclei stained for DNA-aldehyde molecules are at 560 nm (Janus blue), at 600 and 630 nm (methylene blue), and at 520 nm (Janus red). Possible significance of these findings has been discussed.