Computer-aided diagnosis of plant species by chromatin ultrastructure and genome analysis.

Nuclear ultrastructure in non-cycling cells of plants is fairly species specific, whereby the most important parameter is the percentage of condensed chromatin. Therefore, the automated analysis of electron micrographs of ultrathin sections of plant nuclei allow recognition of the species embedded. Flow-sorted, fluorochrome stained nuclei permit the detection of small evolutionary changes in genome organization (e.g. in cell cultures). Moreover, new computer programs for the analysis and comparison of denaturation and renaturation curves allow the diagnosis of plant species at the genome level and to detect differences in certain DNA fractions between species.