Abstract
This study reports cytological observations in maize plants homozygous for the recessive am allele which suppresses meiosis in both male and female meiocytes. The ultimate premeiotic mitosis in anthers from ameiotic plants is normal, but the resulting nuclei do not undergo meiosis. Instead, a synchronized mitosis occurs after which the cells degenerate. No evidence was found for a non-random association of homologous chromosomes in the premeiotic or ameiotic mitoses of homozygous ameiotic plants or in the premeiotic mitosis of normal sibs. These observations are in agreement with the classical view that synapsis of homologous chromosomes does not occur until zygotene.
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Palmer, R.G. Cytological studies of ameiotic and normal maize with reference to premeiotic pairing. Chromosoma 35, 233–246 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326276
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326276