On the positions of centromeres in chicken lampbrush chromosomes.

Using immunostaining with antibodies against cohesin subunits, we show here that cohesin-enriched structures analogous to the so-called centromere protein bodies (PB) are the characteristic of galliform lampbrush chromosomes. Their centromeric location was verified by FISH with certain DNA probes. PB-like structures were used as markers for centromere localization in chicken lampbrush chromosomes.

High chromosome conservation detected by comparative chromosome painting in chicken, pigeon and passerine birds.

Chicken chromosome paints for macrochromosomes 1-10, Z, and the nine largest microchromosomes (Griffin et al. 1999) were used to analyze chromosome homologies between chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus: Galliformes), domestic pigeon (Columba livia: Columbiformes), chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs Passeriformes), and redwing (Turdus iliacus: Passeriformes). High conservation of syntenies was revealed.

Precise identification of chicken chromosomes in the lampbrush form using chromosome painting probes.

Chromosome painting probes specific for macrochromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and Z were applied to both mitotic and lampbrush chromosomes of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Five autosomal macrobivalents and sex chromosome Z in the lampbrush phase were identified and their correspondence to the target chromosomes in the metaphase of mitosis was shown. Nascent transcripts on lateral loops of the target lampbrush chromosome were intensively labelled when the hybridization was performed without RNase A treatment according to the DNA/(DNA + RNA) hybridization protocol.