Restriction endonuclease digestion of meiotic and mitotic chromosomes in Pyrgomorpha conica (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae)

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Abstract
Mitotic and meiotic chromosomes of the grasshopper Pyrgomorpha conica were treated with the restriction endonucleases (REs) AluI, MboI, and HaeIII. Two important results were obtained. First, REs successfully acted to produce linear differentiation not only in mitotic but also in meiotic chromosomes. Second, the changes in pycnosis that occur in the chromatin from first prophase to first metaphase in meiosis, as revealed with orcein or Giemsa, do not affect the digestion capability of REs. This suggests that it is the presence of restriction sites, rather than chromatin condensation itself, that is critical in the production of the linear differentiation obtained.Key words: insect cytogenetics, restriction endonucleases, mitosis, meiosis, heterochromatin.