Autoradiography of Mobile, C14-Labeled Herbicides in Sections of Leaf Tissue

Fresh leaf tissue containing a soluble, C14-labeled herbicide was mounted in cold 1% gelatin on a holder, quick frozen in a cryostat, and cross sectioned at 16 μ with single-edge, stainless steel razor blades. The sections were transferred (without thawing) to cold (—10 C) microscope slides which had been partly covered with double-coated Scotch tape #665. The tissue was freeze-dried in a vacuum desiccator at—20 C then secured to the tape with pressure. Autoradiography was accomplished in a darkroom by covering the slides with dry, nuclear track emulsion films. These films were made by dipping 2 inch diameter wire loops into liquid emulsion, letting the film dry, and applying it by blowing it as it was placed against the tissue. After a 19 day exposure in light-tight boxes at 25-27 C the preparations were processed in the usual manner. The method-was used successfully to trace the movement of soluble, C14-labeled herbicides in leaf tissue without the loss of labeling material or artifacts caused by its diffusion. High resolution autoradiograms with low backgrounds were obtained.