rDNA Sites in Mitotic and Polytene Chromosomes of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. and Phaseolus coccineus L. Revealed by in situ Hybridization

Root tip mitotic and tapetal polytene cells ofVigna unguiculataandPhaseolus coccineus were hybridized with a ribosomal DNA(rDNA) probe. While the number of rDNA sites were as expectedforP. coccineus, it was surprisingly higher inV. unguiculatawhere ten rDNA sites were found in both tissues. A sequentialbanding technique on mitotic chromosomes ofV. unguiculata wasused to map the positions of the rDNA sites more accurately.In mitotic cells eight of the rDNA hybridization sites weresimilar in size while the remaining sites were smaller. In contrast,the hybridization sites were more variable in size in polytenecells with no more than six sites being relatively large. Thedifferences in size of the hybridization sites between the twotissues suggest differential amplification of the rDNA sequences.InP. coccineus six hybridization sites were found in both tissuetypes. The relative sizes of the sites were similar in bothtissue. The presence of speckled signal surrounding four ofthe six sites suggested that at least four of the rDNA siteswere transcribed. rDNA; in situ ; Vigna ; Phaseolus ; polytene; tapetal; Leguminosae