S. Raghukumar et K. Schaumann, AN EPIFLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY METHOD FOR DIRECT DETECTION AND ENUMERATION OF THE FUNGI-LIKE MARINE PROTISTS, THE THRAUSTOCHYTRIDS, Limnology and oceanography, 38(1), 1993, pp. 182-187
An epifluorescence microscopy method using the fluorescent dye acrifla
vine is described for direct detection and enumeration of the fungilik
e protists, the thraustochytrids, in natural samples. The technique is
based on the principles that the fluorochrome stains thraustochytrid
cell walls containing sulfated polysaccharides red and the nucleus yel
low-green. Photosynthetic protists were distinguished by autofluoresce
nce of pigments and protozoans by absence of cell-wall fluorescence. S
everal natural phytoplankton samples from the North Sea were examined
with this technique, where up to 5.4 x 10(6) cells of thraustochytrids
were found per gram dry weight of sample. The results suggest that th
raustochytrids might be much more abundant in natural samples than pre
viously suspected.