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A technique to obtain metaphasic chromosomes in asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) spear cells

Vera Lucia Bobrowski^I; Marcia Ines Eckert^II; Judith Viégas^III; Eliane Augustin^IV; José Antonio Peters^II

^IDepartamento de Zoologia e Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPEL), Caixa Postal 354, 96001-900 Pelotas, RS, Brasil. Send correspondence to V.L.B.
^IIDepartamento de Botânica, IB, UFPEL, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
^IIILaboratório de Biologia Celular, IB, UFPEL, Pelotas, RS, Brasil
^IVCentro de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Clima Temperado, EMBRAPA, Caixa Postal 403, Pelotas, RS, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Asparagus is a dioic perennial species, which makes it difficult to use conventional methods for chromosome analysis with root tips or pollen mother cells. A technique using metaphasic chromosomes from spear tips was developed. Metaphases were arrested with distilled water at 0^OC for 15 to 17 h and the material was then subjected to fixation with ethanol:chloroform:acetic acid 6:3:1; hydrolysis with 5 N HCl for 20 min at room temperature; staining with 3% Giemsa for permanent mounts, or the method of Feulgen and squashing with 1% acetic carmine for temporary mounts.

Keywords: metaphasic chromosomes; asparagus; spear cells.

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