scholarly journals Meiosis in Oenothera missouriensis

A cytological study of the meiotic phenomena in Oenothera may not need an excuse in spite of the exhaustive studies of the genus made by numerous competent cytologists of this century. Up to the present time, all the investigators of Oenothera cytology have been successful in establishing that the basic ( n ) number of chromosomes in this genus is 7; although tetraploid (Gates, 1911), triploid (Cathcheside, 1931), and trisomic numbers might occur either naturally (by mutation) or could be produced by experiment. It is also known that the somatic number of chromosomes corresponds with the number of chromosome bodies in the diakinesis and metaphase of the heterotypic division.. Thus in diploid Oenothera species, hybrid, or mutant at the diakinesis of pollen mother cells 14 chromosomes have been shown to exist, withouth any doubt, in the configuration of a closed circle, in 7 ring pairs, or a mixtrue of free pairs and closed circles. Mathematically, there are 15 possible configurations in which 14 chromosomes can arrange themselves in the form of closed circle, ring pairs, or a combination of ring pairs and closed circles (Cleland and Blakeslee, 1931; Darlington, 1931). Of these 15 Possible configurations 13 have already been reported in various Oenothera species, hybrids and mutants (Darlington, 1931). Regarding the origin and significance of these chromosome configurations invsestigators have not yet reached an agreed opinion. Apart from the genetical significance, the much disputed cytological question of parasynaptic and telosynaptic methods of chromosome pairing is yet far from a final solution. In oenothera both the methods of pairing have strong sup-porters in consideration of observed cytological facts. The fact are (i) the continuous spireme (in leptotene stage); (ii) the pachynema and the diakinesis consisting of the 14 chromosomes arranged end to end. This arragement, known as catenation of chromosomes, favours the telosynaptic rather than the parasynaptic union. Wheras (i) double threads at the prophase, (ii) the looping of the threads, and (iii) the half number of bodies (7 ring pairs) at the diakinesis support the parasynaptic method of pairing of chromosomes. The occurence of a complete catenation of 14 chromosomes in some Oenotheras and the presence of 7 free pairs in others naturally suggests the question-whether they can be correlated with the two methods of chromosome-pairing in the meiosis of Oenothera .

1973 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. DOVER ◽  
R. RILEY

Injection of 0.5% colchicine into immature tillers of genotypes of Triticum aestivum, T. aestivum x Aegilops mutica and T. aestivum x Secale cereale hybrids induces asynapsis at first meiotic metaphase irrespective of the homologous or homoeologous nature of the potential pairing chromosomes. The induction of asynapsis occurs at a time during and immediately following the last premeiotic mitosis of pollen mother cells. No disruption of synapsis and chiasma formation occurs in anthers having pollen mother cells originally at leptotene or immediately prior to leptotene when cultured in White's medium plus colchicine. Tetraploid and octaploid pollen mother cells resulting from the disruption of premeiotic spindles by colchicine show pairing of chromosomes only in bivalents, in genotypes normally having a degree of multivalent pairing configurations. The induction of multipolar mitotic spindles with 0.01% colchicine results in the development of pollen mother cell mosaics with different numbers of chromosomes. Such cells show high levels of chromosome pairing, including multivalents, in some genotypes that normally have very little chromosome pairing. The injection of 0.5% chloral hydrate during the last premeiotic mitosis of the archesporium causes no disturbances of meiotic pairing. The results are discussed with reference to the hypothesis that the control mechanism of meiotic chromosome pairing involves centromeric microtubules of the spindle (not affected by chloral hydrate) that are responsible for the positional adjustment, during the last mitotic anaphase, of potential pairing partners.


2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Qin Zhang ◽  
Xue Bai ◽  
Bao-Rong Lu ◽  
Henry E. Connor ◽  
Yong-Hong Zhou

Elymus tenuis (Buch.) Á.Löve et Connor is a perennial octoploid (2n = 56) wheatgrass endemic to New Zealand. To investigate its genomic constitution, four artificial interspecific hybrids between E. tenuis and E. enysii (2n = 4x = 28, HW), and E. solandri (2n = 6x = 42, StYW) and E. multiflorus (2n = 6x = 42, StYW) were studied cytologically. Meioses in pollen mother cells (PMCs) of the hybrids showed relatively high chromosome pairing, with an average of 13.50 in E. enysii × E. tenuis, 20.22 in E. solandri × E. tenuis, 19.62 in E. multiflorus × E. tenuis, and 20.00 in E. tenuis × E. multiflorus bivalents per cell, respectively. The results indicate that E. tenuis is an allo-octoploid species, with the new and unique genomic constitution StYHW. An autochthonous origin is proposed for it.


Genome ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Jones ◽  
J. A. F. Whitehorn ◽  
S. M. Albini

Chromosome pairing of a small metacentric B chromosome in Crepis capillaris has been studied by synaptonemal complex surface spreading of pollen mother cells containing either one or two B chromosomes. The B-chromosome axis, on average, represents about 8.7% of the axis length of the standard A-chromosome set, which is less than the corresponding values for DNA content (10.6%) and mitotic chromosome volume (13.6%). Single B chromosomes commonly undergo fold-back pairing to give a symmetrical hairpin loop, which supports earlier suggestions that this B chromosome is an isochromosome. Two B chromosomes may show interarm pairing, exclusively, or interchromosome pairing, exclusively, or combinations of the two. Near the centromeres pairing occurs preferentially between arms of the same chromosome, but chromosome ends show random association. Some B chromosomes show anomalous pairing configurations, which may reflect further orders of reverse repeats within arms or, alternatively, nonhomologous pairing. The period of B-chromosome pairing is confined almost exclusively to zygotene, when the standard A chromosomes are pairing, but within this period their pairing is delayed relative to the A set. Individual B chromosomes at zygotene contain from one to three separate synaptonemal complex segments. These are widely distributed within the chromosomes, mainly in distal and interstitial regions; pairing is delayed around the centromere.Key words: B chromosomes, isochromosomes, synaptonemal complex.


1984 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 519-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick E. McGuire

Mean chromosome pairing of 5.14I + 1.28II (rod) + 3.86II (ring) + 1.47III + 0.11IV (open) + 0.11V was observed in pollen mother cells at metaphase I in the triploid hybrid Elytrigia scirpea (K. Presl) Holub, 2n = 4x = 28 × E. bessarabica (Savul. et Rayss) Dubrovik, 2n = 4x = 14. Mean chromosome pairing of 3.71I + 2.29II (rod) + 1.82II (ring) + 2.64III + 0.29IV (open) was observed in the triploid hybrid E. curvifolia (Lange) Holub, 2n = 4x = 28 × E. bessarabica. Mean chromosome pairing of 3.00I + 0.93II (rod) + 1.57II (ring) + 1.36III + 1.79IV (open) + 1.I4IV (closed) + 0.79V was observed in the tetraploid hybrid E. junceiformis Löve et Löve, 2n = 4x = 28 × E. curvifolia. The first hybrid provides the first evidence by genome analysis that E. bessarabica possesses a genome (designated Eb) which is closely related to the genomes of E. scirpea (ES and ESC) and hence to the E genome of E. elongata (Host) Nevski, 2n = 2x = 14. The second and third hybrids provide the first evidence that the two genomes of E. curvifolia (designated EC and ECU) are related to the Eb genome of E. bessarabica and thus to the E genome of E. elongata.Key words: Elytrigia, homoeology, Triticum, phylogeny, triploid, tetraploid.


1980 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice E. Murray

Haploids (2n = x = 15) and the F1 progeny from haploid × diploid crosses of haploid-diploid twins in the flax cultivar Rocket 4 (Linum usitatissimum L.) were analyzed cytologically. In the pollen mother cells (PMC) of haploids, there was variation in the behavior of meiotic chromosomes. There was no chromosome pairing or secondary associations. At meta-anaphase I, the chromosomes either divided and separated to the poles 1) unequally, 2) equally, 3) irregularly, or 4) separated as clusters of undivided chromosomes. All types were present at different frequencies in each haploid. Haploid × diploid crosses produced diploid (2n = 2x = 30), aneuploid (2n = 2x = 31 to 33) and triploid (2n = 3x = 45) F1 progeny at a frequency of 58%, 20% and 22%, respectively. Diploids formed regular bivalents. In the PMCs of aneuploids, the extra chromosomes formed trivalents or remained unassociated as univalents. Chromosomes in the PMCs in triploids predominantly formed trivalents. The relevance of the meta-anaphase I pattern to the potential utilization of haploid flax is discussed.


Genome ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. H. Park ◽  
P. D. Walton

A tissue culture induced octoploid of Elymus canadensis was crossed with two accessions ("Canada" and "Montana") of the same tetraploid species to produce hexaploids. Hexaploid (2n = 42) and near-hexaploid progeny (2n = 43 or 40) obtained from the crosses were morphologically vigorous but either partially or completely sterile. Mean frequencies of univalents and trivalents in the hexaploid pollen mother cells at metaphase I were 3 or 4 and 2 to 4 per cell, respectively. In view of the genomic constitution of the parents, the hexaploids were expected to be genomically double triploids. Nevertheless, bivalents, averaging 14–17 per cell, predominated. This might be due to the failure of chiasma formation and chiasma terminalization. One hexaploid plant was backcrossed to the tetraploid. The progeny consisted of one pentaploid and five aneuploids including one tetrasomic and two trisomics. All of the progeny from the backcrosses were less vigorous than aneuploids at the near-hexaploid level. Tetrasomics and trisomics had stainable pollen and a 17–19% seed set. Two trisomic plants were morphologically indistinguishable from each other and predominantly showed chromosome pairing of 14 II + 1 I. This indicates failure of chiasma formation and chiasma terminalization between homologous chromosomes.Key words: Elymus canadensis, hexaploids, tetrasomics, trisomics, meiosis.


1984 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 532-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard R-C. Wang

Segregation for chiasma frequency was observed in the progeny of a diploid (2n = 14) Critesion violaceum strain following self-pollination. One S1 plant had normal metaphase pairing with an average of 0.43I + 6.78II, giving a high chiasma frequency, 12.03 per cell. The other S1 plant averaged 7.89I + 3.08II and a low chiasma frequency, 3.47 per cell. Examination of pollen mother cells at early prophases revealed that chromosome pairing was not totally prevented. It was concluded that desynapsis was responsible for the meiotic irregularities observed in the variant progeny. The same phenomena were observed in F1 hybrids of the cross between diploid C. violaceum and an induced autotetraploid (2n = 28), Psathyrostachys juncea. The normal F1 hybrid had a chiasma frequency of 12.81, but the desynaptic hybrid had a chiasma frequency of 6.94. A dosage effect of the desynaptic gene, which was probably recessive, was suggested. The implications and significance of this discovery are discussed.Key words: asynapsis, chiasma, meiosis, intergeneric hybrid.


Genome ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Cabrera ◽  
A. Martin

A trigeneric hybrid between Hordeum, Aegilops, and Secale was synthesized. The female parent was a fertile amphiploid between H. chilense and A. squarrosa and the male parent was S. cereale. The hybrid plant had the expected chromosome number of 2n = 21. Cytological analysis of pollen mother cells revealed no chromosome pairing. Morphology of the HchDR hybrid plant was similar to that of the Aegilops. The hybrid was sterile and no seed set was observed even after colchicine treeatment.Key words: Hordeum, Aegilops, Secale, trigeneric hybrid, cytology.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document