Chromosome movements ln the meiosis of insects, especially crane-fly spermatocytes
| dc.contributor.author | Forer, Arthur | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-02-05T19:50:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-02-05T19:50:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1980 | |
| dc.description | This book chapter is shared with permission of the publisher. | |
| dc.description.abstract | I write as a cell biologist interested in the mechanisms of chromosome movements during mitosis and meiosis: studies on insect cells have contributed greatly to our understanding of these processes (for example, see review by Schrader 1953). Much of my work has utilized primary spermatocytes from crane-flies (Diptera: Tipulidae); I will try to explain here some of the characteristics of these cells which make them useful as objects of study. To see how studies on crane-fly spermatocytes fit into the general picture it is necessary to first describe the general state of our understanding of chromosome movements. Chromosome movements during various stages of mitosis and meiosis have been well described from studies of fixed and of living cells under the light microscope. Such studies give good estimates of the timing of stages, chromosome velocities, distances travelled, and so forth. From these data one can calculate the force and energy requirements for moving chromosomes (reviews in Forer 1969; Nicklas 1971); very small forces and very little energy are required. The cytological component responsible for transmitting the force to the chromosome is identified at the light-microscopical level as the chromosomal spindle fibre, which extends between the chromosome and the spindle pole (see Cornman 1944; Schrader 1953; Mazia 1961; Forer 1969, 1974; Nicklas 1971, 1975). Studies with the electron microscope show that microtubules, 25nm-diameter, hollow-looking cylinders, are attached to the chromosome's centromere (i.e. the spindle fibre attachment region of the chromosome), and thus would seem to have some important role or roles in mitosis and meiosis. But it is not known what microtubules do. One of the important problems at present is to identify chemically and ultrastructurally those chromosomal spindle fibre components that produce the force for chromosome movement. Eventually one wants to understand how force production is regulated, but it is difficult to deal with this question until one knows what the 'motor' is. Hence, a prime concern at present is to identify the force producers, and to see how they work, chemically. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Forer, A. (1980). Chromosome movements ln the meiosis of insects, especially crane-fly spermatocytes. In R. L. Blackman, G. M. Hewitt, & M Ashburner (Eds.), Insect Cytogenics (pp. 21-88). Blackwell Scientific Publications. | |
| dc.identifier.isbn | 0632005521 | |
| dc.identifier.isbn | 9780632005529 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10315/42622 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Blackwell Scientific Publications | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | Symposia of the Royal Entomological Society of London; 10 | |
| dc.title | Chromosome movements ln the meiosis of insects, especially crane-fly spermatocytes | |
| dc.type | Conference Paper |
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