Measurement of a DNA histogram can be achieved by fixing or permeabilizing cells and staining them with a DNA-binding dye, such as propidium iodide (PI). The histogram will yield the percentage of cells in the G1, S, and G2/M phases of the cell cycle (1 ). Although some inferences about the movement of cells through the cycle may be drawn, the information gained is essentially static. For example, it is not known whether a cell with S-phase DNA content is actually synthesizing DNA; also the presence of subpopulations with different cycle times cannot be detected.
