RNA, protein and chloroplast DNA.

(A) Ethidium bromide-stained denaturing gel of total cell RNAs extracted from 7 week-old wild type Col-0 and im leaves (white and green sectors). The RNAs were loaded on the gel on a fresh weight basis. The rRNA bands are labeled. (B) Chloroplast DNA-specific primers. Real-time qPCR revealed 4 times the amount of chloroplast DNA in white tissues compared to green and wild-type tissues. Same samples as in (A). (C) Coomassie blue-stained 12.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gel of total cell proteins using the same samples as in (A). The proteins were loaded on a fresh weight basis. The large subunit (LS) of Rubisco is indicated; it comprises nearly all of the band migrating at 55 kDa. (D) Protein amounts in the gel lanes were quantified using ImageJ software. Asterisks indicate a significant difference (t-test, p < 0.05). (E) Confocal fluorescence microscopy. Leaves from 2 month-old im and Col-O were fixed and stained with DAPI (1 ug/ml), then certain leaf area (indicated on Light 1) examined by confocal microscopy (Light 2, DAPI, AutoFL, and Merged, as described in the Materials and Methods. Auto FL is chlorophyll. Bar = 20 μm.