减数分裂指DNA复制1次, 细胞核分裂2次, 产生染色体数目减半的单倍体配子, 是真核生物有性生殖所必需的环节。拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)是分子遗传学研究的传统模式生物。近年来, 随着显微镜技术的快速发展, 利用细胞学方法观察拟南芥减数分裂过程中的染色体形态和同源染色体互作事件, 将有助于深入认识减数分裂的分子遗传机制。该文详细描述了染色体展片法观察拟南芥雄性减数分裂细胞中的染色体形态。

Meiosis halves the number of chromosomes to produce haploid gametes through nuclear division twice following single round of DNA replication, and is essential for eukaryotic sexual reproduction. Arabidopsis thaliana is a traditional model organism used for molecular genetic study. Recently, with breakthroughs in microscopic technologies for observing chromosomes, analyses of chromosome morphology during meiosis using cytological methods have made great advances to understand molecular and genetic mechanisms in regulation of meiosis. In this study, we described in detail the chromosome spread technique we developed, which is well used for observation of chromosome behaviors in Arabidopsis male meiocytes.