Tissue-specific nuclear repatternings, consisting of changes in the nu
mber and size of the chromocenters, were observed by analyzing, in Feu
lgen squashes and sections, different tissues of several plant species
, particularly of lonopsidium savianum. Nuclear repatternings occur ma
inly near the base of the meristems. They are due to associations of c
hromosomes at their heterochromatic regions. This was confirmed by the
results of cytophotometric measurements, showing the same contents of
both Feulgen/DNA and heterochromatin in nuclei with a different numbe
r of chromocenters. These data also showed that chromosome association
does not occur in endoreduplicating or endoreduplicated cells. Autora
diographic results after [H-3]thymidine treatments indicated that DNA
synthesis does not occur in nuclei with extensive chromosome associati
on. A highly significant, positive correlation was found between the n
umber of chromocenters in each nucleus and the amount of RNA synthesis
as indicated by [H-3]uridine incorporation. It is suggested that chro
mosome association plays some role in the regulation of the functional
activity of the nucleus and in tissue differentiation.