CONTRIBUTIONS OF INSECT SYSTEMS TO THE CHROMOSOME THEORY OF INHERITANCE AND TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CHROMOSOME BEHAVIOR ON THE SPINDLE

Insect chromosomes were among the first chromosomes to be investigated . Since then, insects have had an important place in cytogenetics. Ins ect studies were instrumental in proving that genes are on chromosomes and that spindle fibers exist in living cells and are not fixation ar tifacts. Chromosome micromanipulation studies of insect spermatocytes have provided insight into the physical properties of spindle fibers, the initial orientation (attachment) of a bivalent to the spindle, the reorientation of mal-oriented bivalents, and the cause of orientation stability. Insect spermatocytes have been important material for obse rving the structure of the meiotic spindle, and for determining the lo cation and force of the chromosome motor during anaphase. In this revi ew, I highlight important contributions of insect systems to the Chrom osome Theory of Inheritance and to our understanding of chromosome beh avior on the spindle. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.