Visualization of centromeric spots in the chromosomes by UV-light exposure

Summary When exposed to UV-light in the presence of Hoechst 33258, chromosomes ofAllium cepa were progressively photolyzed with increasing length of exposure; they retained their delineated contours, centromeric spots and sometimes secondary constriction bands.     

Presence of intrachromatidic bands in mitotic chromosomes ofTriturus marmoratus (Amphibia: Caudata)

Summary The C-banding technique has revealed the existence of single and double intrachromatidic bands in mitotic chromosomes ofTriturus marmoratus. The presence of the bands is discussed on the basis of the helical coil model versus the radial loop model, which assumes a different packing of the DNA fiber.We are very indebted to Prof. C. García de la Vega for his indispensable help, to Prof. Dr J. Martín for his comments and to M. Herrero for his support.     

Sequential analysis of Giemsa banded chromosomes inVicia faba

Summary Vicia faba (broad bean) root-tip chromosomes were subjected to the SSC-Giemsa and trypsin-Giemsa regimes. Phase-lucent cross-bands seen after fixation/SSC treatment subsequently stain positively with Giemsa. Sequential analysis of the trypsin-Giemsa regime shows, in contrast, that bands are manifest through selective removal of material from interband regions.     

Fluorescence replication banding of frog chromosomes

To identify individual chromosomes of a frog karyotype by their fluorescence banding patterns, chromosomes were stained with actinomycin D and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) after incorporation of BrdU during the late S-phase. The chromosomes of three Rana species which were selected for this study (R. ridibunda, R. lessonae and R. japonica) showed well-defined late replication bands. The fluorescence patterns obtained were the reverse of those produced by a 4Na-EDTA Giemsa-staining technique. Fluorescence patterns of the two water frog species (R. ridibunda and R. lessonae) were similar to each other, except for the different fluorescence of the centromeric heterochromatin, which gave extremely bright signals in R. ridibunda but no signal in R. lessonae. Experiments also showed differences between the fluorescence patterns of R. lessonae chromosome 13 in the Italian and Luxembourgian populations. These results sho w that the fluorescence replication banding using actinomycin D and DAPI is very effective in identifying individual frog chromosomes and detecting their structural changes. Received 7 June 1996; received after revision 23 July 1996; accepted 21 August 1996     

Incorporation of base analogues for detection of unusual base compositions in plant metaphase chromosomes (Vicia faba,Leguminosae)

Summary Bromodeoxyuridine and bromodeoxycytidine with fluorescence-plus-Giemsa staining resulted in similar patterns of asymmetric bands inVicia faba chromosomes. Limitations as to the use of methods for identification of A+T-and G+C-rich regions are discussed.Acknowledgements. We are grateful to Mr G. Versteegh. Groningen, for kindly providing us with a sample of BrdC and to Ms B. Hildebrandt for skilful technical assistance.     

Torus shaped bands at the 2R telomere region and at the region 68 of the salivary gland chromosomes ofDrosophila auraria

Summary The telomere of the 2R arm of the salivary gland chromosomes ofD. auraria exhibits a definite toroidal structure in routine squashed preparations, stained either by propionic orcein-carmine or by fluorescent dyes. There is evidence that a band (or bands) of region 68 (possibly homologous to that ofD. melanogaster) of the 3L chromosome arm also exhibits a toroidal structure. These toroids are associated with heterochromatin, but it is not certain that they are themselves heterochromatic.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by a grant from Volkswagenwerk-Stiftung to C.D.K. The outstanding technical assistance of Ms G. Karamanlidis is acknowledged.     

Cytogenetic studies of Hynobiidae (Urodela). IX. Karyological characteristics ofHynobius abei Sato by means of R-and C-banding

Summary Chromosomal characteristics of the salamander speciesHynobius abei, from Ohimya (Kyoto) were revealed by the techniques of R-and C-banding. The karyotype ofH. abei was characterized by the shortness of an R-negative (C-positive) band in the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 2 and a band encompassing the whole short arm of chromosome 10. These two bands inH. abei were the shortest among those of the variousHynobius species that have been examined. Otherwise no differences could be detected betweenH. abei and seven other pond-type species ofHynobius (2n=56) in terms of the banding patterns of 18 specifically identifiable pairs of their chromosomes.     

Daunomycin-bands are similar to Q-bands on chromosomes of Vicia faba

Summary Lin et al. discovered fluorescent bands on human chromosomes stained with daunomycin (D-bands). These bands looked like Q-bands. We demonstrate D-bands, which look like respective Q-bands, in Vicia faba and infer that the similarity between D and Q banding is general.Acknowledgment. We are indebted to Mr G. Raziel for his help in photography and to Dr M. Friedländer.     

C-band differentiation between the chromosomes of two subspecies of the chironomid midgeChironomus thummi

Summary The metaphase chromosomes ofChironomus th. thummi contain approximately 17% more pericentric C-band heterochromatin than the chromosomes ofChironomus th. piger with 11% heterochromatin. InCh. th. thummi, the proportion of heterochromatin appeared to be much larger in metaphase chromosomes than in polytene chromosomes. This discrepancy is interpreted as being due to the specific chromosome organization and not as the result of an underreplication of heterochromatin during polytenization.     

Trends of karyological evolution in Pelobatoid frogs

Summary The Pelobatids have a basal karyotype of 26 chromosomes, with 6 pairs of large and 7 of small chromosomes (6+7). From this karyotype, shown byLeptobrachium, Pelobates andScaphiopus, those ofMegophrys andSpea (5+8) may be derived, as well as that ofL. pelodytoides, with only 24 chromosomes.Pelodytes has 24 chromosomes and a karyotype 7+5 differing from that of typical Pelobatids under several respects.Research supported by a contribution from the Italian C. N. R.     

Presence of intrachromatidic bands in mitotic chromosomes of Triturus marmoratus (Amphibia: Caudata)

The C-banding technique has revealed the existence of single and double intrachromatidic bands in mitotic chromosomes of Triturus marmoratus. The presence of the bands is discussed on the basis of the helical coil model versus the radial loop model, which assumes a different packing of the DNA fiber.     

Larvale und imaginale Mitteldarmchromosomen vonDrosophila repleta

Summary In certain tissues ofD. repleta-flies, it is possible to observe the interphase chromosomes that are either of larval origin or that occur in imaginal tissues. The imaginal interphase chromosomes from the midgut are similar to the small larval midgut chromosomes in the early phases of their development.     

Supernumerary chromosomes inDrosophila nasuta albomicana

Summary Supernumerary chromosomes have been detected in the karyotype ofD.n. albomicana. Their number varies from one to three. They are the smallest elements in the karyotype. Karyotypes ofD.n. albomicana with and without supernumerary chromosomes have been presented.     

Karyotype of the Japanese salamander,Hynobius abei

Summary A primitive representative of the Caudata endemic to Japan,Hynobius abei Sato (Caudata: Hynobiidae) has 2n=56 chromosomes, with 9 large, 4 medium and 15 small-sized homologous pairs. The morphology of the large-sized chromosomes is similar to that of the knownHynobius species, but the presence of a pair of acrocentrics in the medium-sized group and 5 pairs of biarmed chromosomes in the small-sized group characterized the karyotype ofH. abei.We thank A. Itoi, S. Segawa, K. Ban, T. Hikida and O. Murakami for their assistance in collecting specimens.     

Die Genomsonderung in den Mitosen der Rattenleber

Summary Model squashes with gelatine cubes containing 8 files like the chromosomes ofBellevalia romana (2n=8) showed the chromosomes only in groupings that correspond to the original position of metaphase chromosomes. The metaphase chromosomes in root tip cells ofBellevalia romana are arranged at random; there is neither somatic pairing nor genome segregation (= grouping of metaphase chromosomes into two complete chromosome sets). In contradiction to these results, the chromosomes in the regenerating liver cells (2n=42) show a certain precentage of grouping into complete genomes. It is concluded that in rat liver cells a mechanism exists which, starting with the genome segregation, may produce a change in chromosome number. Thus these same euploid or aneuploid chromosome numbers can be explained which are really observed in normal and treated rat liver. 4 possibilities of such mechanism are discussed.

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Nach einem Vortrag, gehalten anlässlich des IV. Symposium histologicum internationale Lausanne (Suisse), 5.–8. September 1961.     

The origin of the brown frogs with 2n=24 chromosomes

Late replication and C-banding analyses of somatic metaphase chromosomes were attempted on three species of brown frogs with 2n=26 chromosomes (Rana japonica, R. tsushimensis andR. temporaria), and three with 2n=24 chromosomes (R. ornativentris, R. dybowskii andR. chensinensis), which are distributed in the Palearctic region. The late replication banding patterns were highly conserved in these species. Four chromosome inversions were demonstrated inR. ornativentris, two inR. dybowskii and two inR. tsushimensis. From a detailed comparison of late replication and C-banding patterns between the 2n=26 and the 2n=24 species, it was found that an end-to-end fusion of two small chromosomes (nos 11 and 13) in an ancestral 2n=26 species may have produced the medium-sized no. 6 chromosome of the 2n=24 species.     

Heterochromosomen beiVipera berus L. (Viperidae,Serpentes)

Summary A dimorphic pair of chromosomes was found among the macrochromosomes in mitosis of females ofVipera berus L. It corresponds to a pair of medium-sized chromosomes in the male. The conclusion is drawn that females are heterogametic (ZW-type), males being homogametic (ZZ-type). Similar observations were made inVipera aspis L.,Natrix natrix L., andNatrix maura L.     

The chromosomes of the didelphiid marsupialMarmosa robinsoni bangs

Résumé L'étude des chromosomes somatiques du marsupial sudaméricainMarmosa robinsoni Bangs, démontre que l'équipement chromosomique diploïde de cette espèce de la subfamille Didelphiinae est composé de 14 chromosomes. Trois paires d'autosomes sont grands et submétacentriques; 1 paire est formée par de chromosomes moyens, métacentriques, et 2 paires sont acrocentriques et plus petites. Le complexe sexuel est du typeXY, formé par unX métacentrique et unY télocentrique, tous les 2 étant les chromosomes les plus petits du complément. La similitude de ce caryotype avec celui du genreCaluromys, appartenant à la subfamille Microbiotherinae, est remarquable.     

The karyotype,C-bands and AgNO3-bands of a lungless salamander from Korea:Onychodactylus fischeri (Boulenger) (Amphibia,Urodela)

The karyotype of a lungless salamander,Onychodactylus fischeri, from Korea was analyzed and compared with that of the Japanese congeneric species,O. japonicus. In both species the diploid karyotype consists of78 chromosomes, including 6 pairs of large chromosomes, 6 pairs of medium-sized ones, and the remaining 27 pairs of microchromosomes. The chromosome number ofO. fischeri, 2n=78, is, like that ofO. japonicus, the largest so far reported in the order Urodela. C-banding showed that constitutive heterochromatin inO. fischeri was mainly in the centromeric regions and near the secondary constrictions of the large chromosomes. AgNO₃-bands were located in the secondary constrictions associated with C-band heterochromatin.     

Chromatin ofh regions of human chromosomes at high resolution

Summary Segmentation of the secondary constriction region (h) of human chromosomes 1, 9 and 16 is demonstrated by a high resolution banding technique. Based on these staining properties, it is suggested that the composition of theh region in human chromosomes is heterochromatic as well as euchromatic.