Abstract
A study of male meiosis has been carried out on air-dried testicular preparations from 10 adult Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus campbelli Th.). The general course of meiosis in this species seems to be similar to that in most of the mammals so far studied. A short description of the main meiotic stages from pachytene to metaphase II has been presented. The sex-chromosomes (X and Y) show end-to-end pairing and prereduction. Between pachytene and diplotene there probably exists a diffuse stage. The large size of nuclei, the presence of double, occasionally crossed thin chromatin threads with a small number of double chromatin knobs are typical for this stage. The sex-vesicle is still present here but it is not so distinct as at pachytene, probably due to the beginning of straightening of the sex-bivalent. The differential arm of the X chromosome shows allocycly. During diplotene-diakinesis this arm looks like a thin double thread which is several times longer than the pairing arm. At metaphase I the differential arm is more condensed but usually the X does not become metacentric as at metaphase of mitosis. The allocycly of the X has been observed already at pachytene. The light zone of the sex-vesicle is formed by a smooth coiled thread or band which in some of the nuclei looks like a loop or “tail” protruding from the dark zone. A possible relationship between the allocycly of the X chromosome arm and its active functional state during meiotic prophase is suggested.
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Pogosianz, H.E. Meiosis in the Djungarian hamster. Chromosoma 31, 392–403 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00285831
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00285831