Clear interlocking of bivalents at diakinesis has now been found in sporocyte samples of plants from a number of widely differing stocks, although sibling plants of these stocks appear completely normal in this respect. Stocks involved include a Coop elongate stock, G. Y. Kikudome's 9K*Ks stock, Coop desynaptic stock, Coop Inv. 3a stock (which actually contained two B chromosomes), and KYS. In samples where the abnormality was found, some cells were normal, most contained one or two pairs of interlocked bivalents and some contained snarls involving all or most of the chromosomes. At pachytene, many cells contained untraceable, snarled knots involving many chromosomes, although very little synaptic failure was seen. Interlocking could be seen at metaphase 1, but in most cases, resolution of the interlocks had yielded normal appearing cells by anaphase 1, and later meiotic stages appeared normal.

All of these samples were from growth chamber grown plants, and it is suspected that the abnormality is a result of some aspect of the growth chamber condition which may have differentially affected these plants. I am interested in knowing whether others have found abnormalities of this sort in field grown or growth chamber material.

Marjorie Maguire

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