Inducing chromosome pairing through premature condensation: analysis of wheat interspecific hybrids

At the onset of meiosis, chromosomes first decondense and then condense as the process of recognition and intimate pairing occurs between homologous chromosomes. We show here that okadaic acid, a drug known to induce chromosome condensation, can be introduced into wheat interspecific hybrids prior to meiosis to induce chromosome pairing. This pairing occurs in the presence of the Phi locus, which usually suppresses pairing of related chromosomes and which we show here delays condensation. Thus the timing of chromosome condensation during the onset of meiosis is an important factor in controlling chromosome pairing.