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Plant Microtechniques and Protocols pp 287–309Cite as

Chromosome Techniques and FISH

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Abstract

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) enables us to visualize the physical position of specific DNA sequences in chromosomes spread on a slide, making it possible to study cytogenetics at the molecular level. It involves hybridization of a specific DNA sequence with the complementary DNA spread on a slide and the immunological detection and visualization of those hybridization sites. Genome in situ hybridization (GISH) is a modified version of FISH to use total genomic DNA labeled as a probe. It is often used to differentiate the parental chromosomes in an interspecific hybrid and to reveal the genome components of a polyploid. FISH to plant chromosomes is thought to be more difficult than to animal species mainly because of the cell wall and viscous cytoplasm. Therefore, preparation of chromosome spreads is crucial for satisfactory FISH/GISH results with plant materials. Here we share our experience in preparing plant chromosome spreads for FISH analysis. We also provide a brief FISH procedure for beginners who want to perform FISH analysis of their materials. With the principles described here, a routine FISH/GISH protocol to obtain high-quality FISH images for publication can be established with continuous practice and modification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC

    Mei-Chu Chung

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  1. Mei-Chu Chung
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Correspondence to Mei-Chu Chung .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, CALGARY, Alberta, Canada

    Edward Chee Tak Yeung

  2. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Claudio Stasolla

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Michael John Sumner

  4. Center for Basic Research in Digestive Disease, Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    Bing Quan Huang

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Chung, MC. (2015). Chromosome Techniques and FISH. In: Yeung, E., Stasolla, C., Sumner, M., Huang, B. (eds) Plant Microtechniques and Protocols. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19944-3_17

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