Cytochemical heterochromatin differentiation in Sinapis alba (Cruciferae) using a simple air-drying technique for producing chromosome spreads

Abstract

The fluorochrome and Giemsa chromosome banding patterns and the Ag-NOR histochemical staining of Sinapis alba are described. Two major types of heterochromatin can be distinguished, one of which contains GC-rich DNA. The observations are discussed as they relate to the known satellite DNAs of S. alba. - A simple air-drying technique for producing spreads of plant mitotic chromosomes is presented. Different materials and staining techniques were tested showing that the method has wide applications. © 1988 Springer-Verlag.