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Drosophila Cytogenetics Protocols pp 305–324Cite as

Electron Microscopy of Polytene Chromosomes

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 247))

Abstract

Most studies of the structure and function of Dipteran salivary gland poly-tene chromosomes are based on the phenomenon of the relative constancy of the banding pattern characteristic of each species. This made possible the building of cytological maps of polytene chromosomes widely used in genetic and molecular genetic research. The most detailed maps of the salivary gland polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster were those made in the 1930s to 1940s by Bridges and Bridges using the light microscope (LM) (see ref. 1). More recently, Sorsa and his colleagues (2–4) presented revised electron microscope (EM) maps covering the entire salivary gland chromosome set of D. melanogaster. To carry out this extremely laborious work, they used a squash/thin-sectioning EM technique. We consider this approach to be the best for precise mapping of politene chromosome regions. Moreover, chromosomes prepared by this method can be used for autoradiographic study, in situ hybridization and protein localization at the EM level, as described in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Cytogenetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, Novosibirsk, Russia

    Valery F. Semeshin, Elena S. Belyaeva, Victor V. Shloma & Igor F. Zhimulev

Authors
  1. Valery F. Semeshin
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  2. Elena S. Belyaeva
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  3. Victor V. Shloma
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  4. Igor F. Zhimulev
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacological Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY

    Daryl S. Henderson

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© 2004 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Semeshin, V.F., Belyaeva, E.S., Shloma, V.V., Zhimulev, I.F. (2004). Electron Microscopy of Polytene Chromosomes. In: Henderson, D.S. (eds) Drosophila Cytogenetics Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 247. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-665-7:305

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-665-7:305

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-050-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-665-2

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