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Differential Giemsa staining of heterochromatic B-chromosomes in Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Thunb.) (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

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Abstract

A modified Giemsa staining technique has been used to investigate the karyotype of the grasshopper Myrmeleotettix maculatus, since this stain appears to be diagnostic for certain repetitive DNAs. The centromeric regions are densely heterochromatic, and further heterochromatic bands occur on the X-chromosome and on both arms of the B-chromosome. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to centromeric structure and B-chromosome structure in this insect, and a possible origin of the B-chromosome is suggested.

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Gallagher, A., Hewitt, G. & Gibson, I. Differential Giemsa staining of heterochromatic B-chromosomes in Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Thunb.) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Chromosoma 40, 167–172 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00321461

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00321461

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