Abstract
A method for meiotic chromosome preparation including a hypotonic treatment of suspending pollen mother cells (PMCs) released from male strobili was developed in several conifer species. Preparations of meiotic chromosomes were easily made just by dropping of an aliquot of fixative suspending PMCs on a glass slide. The preparations of meiotic chromosomes obtained in all 16 species used of seven confer families were adequate for conventional observation on sequences of meiosis and spread chromosomes at metaphase I. Fluorescent bandings using chromomycin A3 (CMA) and DAPI were applied the preparations to reveal chromosome configuration of chromosomes with fluorescent band. In male plant of Podocarpus macrophyllus DAPI-bands appeared on a trivalent of XXY-type sex chromosomes indicating structural relationships among them and in Sequoia sempervirens after CMA-banding a hexavalent were formed with six chromosomes having CMA-band. Details of the preparation method for conifer meiotic chromosomes and some cytological applications using the preparations obtained by this method were reported.
