ISOLATION AND PURIFICATION OF GLANDULAR SECRETORY CELLS FROM ARTEMISIA TRIDENTATA (SSP. VASEYANA) BY PERCOLL DENSITY GRADIENT CENTRIFUGATION

Abstract

Glandular trichome heads (the secretory cells), obtained by mechanical homogenization of young floral buds and subtending leaves of Artemisia, were isolated and partially purified in discontinuous and continuous Percoll density gradients. With discontinuous gradients, the mixed‐cell suspension was fractionated on four layers of Percoll with increasing densities: 0, 1.048, 1.068, and 1.084 g/ml. Gland heads banded primarily at the 0/1.048 interface, mesophyll cells at the 1.068/1.084 interface, and the hairs and hair fragments pelleted at the bottom of the tube. Twenty to thirty percent of the cells in the 0/1.048 band were intact gland heads, which represented about half of those recovered from the gradient. Hairs were the major contaminant. Over 90% of the gland heads excluded Evan's blue dye and were apparently viable. Similar results were obtained from preliminary experiments using continuous density gradients. The whole procedure for either method requires 3–6 hr, depending on the amount of starting material.