Chromosome No. 1 of Crepis Cappilaris Shows Defined 3D-Shapes in Mitotic Prophase A. Houtsmuller, J. Oud, M. Motijn, M. Worring, A. W. M. Smeulders In Chromosome Research 2000. [bibtex] [pdf] [url]

The shape of mitotic prophase chromosomes has been studied in root tip nuclei by confocal microscopy and 3Dimage analysis. Crepis capillaris chromosome no. 1 was used as a test object. Chromosome conformation was studied in early, mid- and in late prophase. In mid- and late prophase, individual chromosomes could be distinguished on the basis of their length. Early prophase chromosomes could not be distinguished as individuals. The central axes of prophase chromosomes were traced with an automated computer procedure and then represented as a string of 3D coordinates. This representation facilitated measurement along the chromosome axis of shape parameters such as curvature (amount of bending), torsion (helical winding) and torsion sign (helical handedness). Stretches of early prophase chromosomes showed full helical turns, which could be left- or right-handed. In the later prophase stages curvature and torsion were statistically analysed. Our data on 40 midprophase chromosomes no. 1 show that they are still highly curved, but full helical turns were no longer found. Instead, an overall meandering pattern was observed. In late prophase, one central loop persisted, anked by two preferential regions of high curvature.

@Article{HoutsmullerCR2000,
  author       = "Houtsmuller, A. and Oud, J. and Motijn, M. and Worring, M.
                  and Smeulders, A. W. M.",
  title        = "Chromosome No. 1 of Crepis Cappilaris Shows Defined 3D-Shapes in Mitotic Prophase",
  journal      = "Chromosome Research",
  number       = "3",
  volume       = "8",
  pages        = "243--252",
  year         = "2000",
  url          = "https://ivi.fnwi.uva.nl/isis/publications/2000/HoutsmullerCR2000",
  pdf          = "https://ivi.fnwi.uva.nl/isis/publications/2000/HoutsmullerCR2000/HoutsmullerCR2000.pdf",
  has_image    = 1
}