Biopolymers and cell. 1987. Volume 3. № 4. 208 - 214

A. S. Parokonny, V. P. Momot, V. N. Kotov, Yu. Yu. Gleba

SPATIAL SEPARATION OF PARENT GENOMES IN HYBRIDS OF THE SOMATIC PLANT CELLS

Summary

    Spatial arrangement of chromosomes in metaphase nuclei of somatic cells hybrids Ni-cotiana chinensis+Atropa belladonna has been studied. It is found that during the first divison, chromosomes of two parents are not randomly intermixed in metaphase plate, but they are grouped in segments, each containing predominantly chromosomes of one parent. Spatial separation of parental genomes is retained during the long-term (6-48 months) cultivation of hybrid cells, although topology of separation changes from «seg-ment» to «radial» (chromosomes of one species being in the center and those of another occupying periphery of the metaphase plate). Analysis of cells grown for 6 days in the presence of colchicine (100, 300 and 1000 ng/ml) and then cultivated for 1-7 months in the colchicine-free medium has revealed that colchicine induces disorders in chromosome spatial positions, and that these alterations are heritable. Therefore, the phenomena stu¬died are, probably, of epigenetic nature. Possibilities of using somatic cells hybrids as a model for analyzing the mechanisms of mitosis are discussed.