Chromosome movement during meiotic prophase in crane‐fly spermatocytes. I. Observations on living cells and the effects of cyanide and cold treatment

Meiotic prophase in spermatocytes of the crane fly, Nephrotoma suturalis, involves both the condensation and the movement of bivalent chromosomes. Since crane flies have only four bivalents that appear highly condensed during late prophase, changes of position and orientation of those bivalents relative to one another can be seen easily in living cells. Chromosome movement during the final 1 to 2 hr of diakinesis was analyzed in detail. Maximal velocities of prophase movements were between 0.1 and 1 μM/min. Metakinetic movements during prometaphase have similar velocities. To assess the physiological basis of prophase movements, experiments employing cyanide and cold treatment were performed. Prophase movements were abolished completely by cyanide, and, for the most part, the velocities of chromosomes in the cold at 2°C and 6°C were less than that of untreated cells at 22°C. The results suggest that prophase movements are energy dependent and may involve an enzyme‐catalyzed process occurring in close association with the nuclear envelope.