Meiosis in Oenothera missouriensis

Abstract

A cytological study of the meiotic phenomena in Oenothera may not need an excuse in spite of the exhaustive studies of the genus made by numerous competent cytologists of this century. Up to the present time, all the investigators of Oenothera cytology have been successful in establishing that the basic ( n ) number of chromosomes in this genus is 7; although tetraploid (Gates, 1911), triploid (Cathcheside, 1931), and trisomic numbers might occur either naturally (by mutation) or could be produced by experiment. It is also known that the somatic number of chromosomes corresponds with the number of chromosome bodies in the diakinesis and metaphase of the heterotypic division.. Thus in diploid Oenothera species, hybrid, or mutant at the diakinesis of pollen mother cells 14 chromosomes have been shown to exist, withouth any doubt, in the configuration of a closed circle, in 7 ring pairs, or a mixtrue of free pairs and closed circles. Mathematically, there are 15 possible configurations in which 14 chromosomes can arrange themselves in the form of closed circle, ring pairs, or a combination of ring pairs and closed circles (Cleland and Blakeslee, 1931; Darlington, 1931). Of these 15 Possible configurations 13 have already been reported in various Oenothera species, hybrids and mutants (Darlington, 1931). Regarding the origin and significance of these chromosome configurations invsestigators have not yet reached an agreed opinion. Apart from the genetical significance, the much disputed cytological question of parasynaptic and telosynaptic methods of chromosome pairing is yet far from a final solution. In oenothera both the methods of pairing have strong sup-porters in consideration of observed cytological facts. The fact are (i) the continuous spireme (in leptotene stage); (ii) the pachynema and the diakinesis consisting of the 14 chromosomes arranged end to end. This arragement, known as catenation of chromosomes, favours the telosynaptic rather than the parasynaptic union. Wheras (i) double threads at the prophase, (ii) the looping of the threads, and (iii) the half number of bodies (7 ring pairs) at the diakinesis support the parasynaptic method of pairing of chromosomes. The occurence of a complete catenation of 14 chromosomes in some Oenotheras and the presence of 7 free pairs in others naturally suggests the question-whether they can be correlated with the two methods of chromosome-pairing in the meiosis of Oenothera .