VIEW ARTICLE

Techniques

Calcofluor: An Optical Brightener for Fluorescence Microscopy of Fungal Plant Parasites in Leaves. R. Rohringer, Research Station, Agriculture Canada, 195 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3T 2M9; (2)(3)(4)Research Station, Agriculture Canada, 195 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3T 2M9, (4)Present address: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box Y, Oak Ridge, TN 37920. Phytopathology 67:808-810. Accepted for publication 19 October 1976. Copyright © 1977 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-67-808.

Leaves infected with fungal plant pathogens were fixed and cleared in lactophenol/ethanol and stained with Calcofluor White M2R New to impart fluorescence to fungal structures. The procedure did not interfere with autofluorescence of host cells that had become necrotic in response to infection and facilitated simultaneous observation of fungal development and host cell necrosis.