A new immunohistochemical method for analyzing the localization of gibberellins was developed and applied to rice anthers. This method uses 1,3-diisopropylcarbodiimide gas fixation to prevent the drift of gibberellins during the fixation procedure. Spikelets before anthesis were frozen in liquid nitrogen and lyophilized. They were then fixed with diisopropylcarbodiimide gas in a desiccator, which catalyzed amide formation between the 7-carboxyl groups of gibberellins and the amino groups of proteins in the tissue. The fixed spikelets were embedded in paraffin and sectioned, the sections being stained with the anti-GA1-Me antibody and visualized by using an immunoperoxidase system. The anthers just before anthesis were stained well, while those 4–5 days before heading were not stained. We analyzed the gibberellins in an extract of the rice anthers by an immunoassay, using the anti-GA1-Me antibody. On the basis of the results, we conclude that the major substances stained in this immunohistochemical study s...