Abstract
Comparative fluorescence studies on the chromosome of ten species of acridid grasshoppers, with varying amounts and locations of C-band positive heterochromatin, indicate that the only regions to fluoresce differentially are those that C-band. Within a given species there is a marked tendency for groups of chromosomes to accumulate heterochromatin with similar fluorescence behaviour at similar sites. This applies to all three major categories of heterochromatin — centric, interstitial and telomeric. Different sites within the same complement, however, tend to have different fluorescence properties. In particular, centric C-bands within a given species are regularly distinguishable in their behaviour from telomeric C-bands. Different species, on the other hand, may show distinct forms of differential fluorescence at equilocal sites. These varying patterns of heterochromatin heterogeneity, both within and between species, indicate that whatever determines the differential response to fluorochromes has tended to operate both on an equilocal basis and in a concerted fashion. This is reinforced by the fact that structural rearrangements that lead to the relocation of centric C-bands, either within or between species, may also be accompanied by a change in fluorescence behaviour.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bennett MD (1982) The nucleotypic basis of the spatial ordering of chromosomes in enkaryotes and the implications of the order for genome evolution and phenotypic variation. In: Dover GA, Flavell RB (eds) Genome evolution. Academic Press, London pp 239–261
Bennett MD (1983) The spatial distribution of chromosomes. In: Brandham PE, Bennett MD (eds) Kew chromosome conference II. George Allen and Unwin, London, p 71–79
Callow RS (1984) Comments on Bennett's model of somatic chromosome disposition. Heredity (in press)
Coates DG, Smith D (1984) The spatial distribution of chromosomes in metaphase neuroblast cells from subspecific F1 hybrids of the grasshopper Caledia captiva. Chromosoma 90:338–348
Comings DE (1980) Arrangement of chromatin in the nucleus. Hum Genet 53:131–143
Dawson GW, Marshall-Graves JA (1984) Gene mapping in marsupials and monotremes I. The chromosomes of rodent marsupial (Macropus) cell hybrids and gene assignments to the grey kangaroo X chromosome 91:20–27
Deumling B, Greilhuber J (1982) Characterisation of heterochromatin in different species of the Scilla siberia group (Liliaceae) by in situ hybridisation of satellite DNA and fluorochrome banding. Chromosoma 84:535–555
Finch RA, Smith JB, Bennett MD (1981) Hordeum and Secale mitotic genomes lie apart in a hybrid. J Cell Sci 52:391–403
Fox DP, Mello-Sampayo T, Carter KC (1975) Chromosome distribution in neuroplast metaphase cells of Locusta migratoria L. Chromosoma 53:321–323
Greilhuber J, Loidl J (1983) On regularities of C-banding patterns and their possible cause. In: Brandham PE, Bennett MD (eds) Kew chromosome conference II. George Allen und Unwin. London p 344
Heitz E (1933) Die somatische Heteropyknose bei Drosophila melanogaster und ihre genetische Bedeutung. Z Zellforsch 20:237–287
Heitz E (1935) Die Herkunft der Chromozentren. Planta 18:571–635
Heslop-Harrison JS, Bennett MD (1983) The spatial order of chromosomes in root-tip metaphases of Aegilops umbellata. Proc R Soc B 218:255–239
Hilwig I, Gropp A (1972) Staining of constitutive heterochromatin in mammalian genomes with a new fluorochrome. Exp Cell Res 75:122–126
John B, King M (1977) Heterochromatin variation in Cryptobothrus chrysophorus. II. Patterns of C-banding. Chromosoma 65:59–79
John B, King M (1983) Population cytogenetics of Atractomorpha similis. I. C-band variation. Chromosoma 88:57–68
King M, John B (1980) Regularities and restrictions governing C-band variation in acridoid grasshoppers. Chromosoma 76:123–150
Loidl J (1983) Some features of heterochromatin in wild Allium species. Plant Syst Evol 143:117–131
Maguire MP (1983) Homologous chromosome pairing remains an unsolved problem: a test of a popular hypothesis utilising maize meiosis. Genetics 104:173–179
Nur U (1973) Random arrangement of chromosomes in a radial metaphase configuration. Chromosoma 40:263–267
Schmid M (1980) Chromosome banding in Amphibia. IV Differentiation of GC and AT-rich chromosome regions in Anura. Chromosoma 77:83–103
Schwarzacher T, Schweizer D (1982) Karyotype analyses and heterochromatin differentiation with Giemsa C-banding and fluorescent counterstaining in Cephalanthera (Orchidaceae). Plant Syst Evol 141:91–113
Schwarzacher T, Mayr B, Schweizer D (1984) Heterochromatin and NOR behaviour at male pachytene of Sus scrofa domestica. Chromosoma 91:12–19
Schweizer D (1976) Reverse fluorescent chromosome banding with chromomycin and DAPI. Chromosoma 58:307–324
Schweizer D (1979) Fluorescent chromosome banding in plants: applications, mechanisms and implications for chromosome structure. Proc 4th John Innes Symp 61–72
Schweizer D, Ehrendorfer F (1976) Giemsa banded karyotypes, systematics and evolution in Anacyclus (Asteraceae-Anthemidae). Plant Syst Evol 126:107–148
Schweizer D, Ehrendorfer F (1983) Evolution of C-band patterns in Asteraceae-Anthemidaeae. Biol Zentralbl 102:637–655
Schweizer D, Mendelak M, White MJD, Contreras N (1983) Cytogenetics of the parthenogentic grasshopper Warramaba virgo and its bisexual relatives. X Patterns of fluorescent banding. Chromosoma 88:227–236
Webb CG (1976) Chromosome organisation in the Australian plaque locust Chortoicetes terminifera. I Banding relationship of the normal and supernumerary chromosomes. Chromosoma 55:229–246
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
We dedicate this paper, with affection, to Professor Hans Bauer on the occasion of his 80th birthday, and in appreciation of his singular contribution to the study of chromosomes
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
John, B., King, M., Schweizer, D. et al. Equilocality of heterochromatin distribution and heterochromatin heterogeneity in acridid grasshoppers. Chromosoma 91, 185–200 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328216
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328216