TELOMERIC POLYMORPHISM IN VICIA-FABA

Chromosomes isolated from a Vicia faba line (ACB) with individually distinguishable chromosomes were hybridized in situ with a biotinylated plant telomeric probe. Besides the signals at terminal positions interstitial signals, which could not be detected previously, were observed: A regular one within the short arm of chromosome II, rare ones in the short arms of chromosomes V, VI, and at other subterminal positions, and a polymorphic one in the centromere region of the metacentric chromosome I, the site of a recent Robertsonian centromere fission. The latter led to a new interpretation of Robertsonian rearrangements.