Why metaphase chromosomes wander

Nucleosomes in metaphase chromosomes.

Previous studies of the structure of metaphase chromosomes have relied heavily on electron micrography and have revealed the existence of a 10-nm unit fiber that is thought to generate the native 23-30-nm fiber by higher order folding. The structural relationship of these metaphase fibers to the interphase fiber remains obscure. Recent studies on the digestion of interphase chromatin have revea...

Affinity Distance Values among Somatic Metaphase Chromosomes

In maize root-tip metaphase preparations, all distances between two chromosomes were measured in 50 cells from each of seven stocks and in 30 from one stock; four were arrested with cold, two with 8-hydroxyquinoline, one with colchicine and one with monobromonaphthalene Standardized, affinity-distance values were calculated for all pairs of homologues and pairs of nonhomologues from each prepar...

DISSERTATION ABSTRACT : KRISTIN BOYCE Why Wander

Isolation of Metaphase Chromosomes from Hela Cells

The authors have developed a method for large-scale isolation of metaphase chromosomes from HeLa cells. The distinguishing feature of this method is the use of a pH sufficiently low (about 3) to stabilize the chromosomes against mechanical damage. Many milligrams of fairly pure, morphologically intact chromosomes can be isolated in 8 hr or less of total working time. The isolated chromosomes co...

Studies on the Isolation of Metaphase Chromosomes

A method for the isolation of metaphase chromosomes from mouse L1210 leukemia cells has been developed. Cells, arrested at metaphase with colchicine, were exposed to hypotonic solution and the pH was then adjusted to 5.6 to stabilize the chromosomes. The metaphase figures were subsequently disrupted and the chromosomes isolated by a series of differential centrifugations in sucrose. The isolate...