Labeling meiotic chromosomes in maize with fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can be used to visualize chromosomal features using repetitive or single gene probes above a minimum target size. When applied to meiosis, each chromosome of the karyotypic complement can be identified, which can facilitate an understanding of the interrelationship of different chromosomes during this process. On the other hand, the pachytene stage of early meiosis is characterized by slightly but not strongly condensed chromosomes that permit more detailed analyses of adjacent features than can be achieved with somatic metaphase chromosomes.