| Abstract: | Meiotin-1 is a chromatin associated, conserved protein found in meiocytes immediately preceding and during meiosis and is thought to have a role in determining the higher order structure of meiotic chromosomes Riggs and Hasenkampf: Chromosoma 101:92–98, 1991]. In the studies reported here we utilized immunoblotting and immunocytochemical techniques to examine the temporal and spatial distribution of meiotin-1 in the anthers of Lilium longiflorum. The results with the anti-meiotin-1 immune serum were compared with those obtained using an anti-his-tone Hl immune serum. The anti-histone Hl immune serum gave constant immunostaining in all cell types of the anther at all of the stages tested. In contrast, the anti-meiotin-1 immune serum only gave immunostaining with the microsporocytes and to a lesser extent with the nutritive layer, the tapetum. It did not react with the cells of the anther wall. Meiotin-1 immunostaining was first present in significant quantities in the microsporocytes as they accumulated in the G1 phase before the onset of premeiotic S phase and reached peak levels in the time interval between leptotene and pachytene—the same interval when chromosome synapsis occurs and when reciprocal genetic exchange is thought to occur. Immunostaining for both meiotin-1 and histone H1 uniformly decorates the longitudinal axes of the chromosomes. Our data are consistent with the idea that the role of meiotin-1 may be to tag certain sequences or to limit the degree of chromosome condensation that occurs during meiotic prophase. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
