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Updated: Feb 5, 2026
Preparation of Meiotic Chromosome Spreads from Zebrafish Spermatocytes
Published on: March 3, 2020
Chromosome Spread Analyses of Meiotic Sex Chromosome Inactivation
Kris G Alavattam1,2,3, Hironori Abe4,5,6, Akihiko Sakashita4,5,6
1Division of Reproductive Sciences, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. kristan.alavattam@cchmc.org.
Abstract:
A distinct form of X chromosome inactivation takes place during male meiosis, when the male sex chromosomes undergo a phenomenon known as meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI). MSCI is directed by DNA damage response signaling independent of Xist RNA to silence the transcriptional activity of the sex chromosomes, an essential event in male germ cell development. Here, we present protocols for the preparation and analyses of chromosome spread slides of mouse meiotic spermatocytes, thereby enabling a quick, inexpensive, and powerful cytological method to complement gene expression studies.
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