Sister chromatid exchange in the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) studies have been performed in a variety of animals, both in vitro and in vivo, as well as in plants. To date, no such studies have been performed in any member of the gerbil sub-family (Gerbillinae). A new sister chromatid differential staining method was used with mice in vivo and has now been applied to the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus. With some modifications, this in vivo method was found to be highly reproducible in gerbils, and had consistently produced many metaphase cells with clear sister chromatid differentiation. The method involves subcutaneous implantation of a 50 mg slow-release BrdU pellet, the fluorochrome Hoechst 33258, phosphate buffering at pH 6.8, and incandescent light exposure.