Staining and slide-preparing technique of mitotic chromosomes and application in karyotype determination of Ephedra
Wu, J.; Li, S.; Jiang, H.; Gao, Y.; Niu, J.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 34(21): 2725-2729
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 1001-5302 PMID: 20209901 Document Number: 630471
To study the karyotype of four Ephedra plants in order to provide the cytologic evidence for the genetic diversity and identification genetic resources of Ephedra. The roots of germinating seeds were used to study the karyotype of four Ephedra plants by staining and slide-preparing technique of mitotic chromosomes. the optimal root-sampling time was about 10: 20 - 10:40 am. Using 0.002 mol x L(-1) 8-Hydroxyquinoline to pretreating the intravital root tips, the optimal pretreatment time for E. Sinica, E. intermedina, E. equisetina and E. przewalskii was 4, 5, 4.5 and 3.5 h, respectively. E. przewalskii and E. equisetina were diploid, E. Sinica and E. intermedina were belonged quadruple. The karyotype formulae of the four species were 2n = 2x = 14 = 2M + 8m + 4sm, 2n = 2x = 14 = 10m + 4st, 2n = 4x = 28 = 20m (2SAT) +8st, and 2n = 4x = 28 = 20m (SAT) + 6st + 2sm, respectively. All the karyotypes of four Ephedra species were 2A type, which was the symmetric karyotype.