title: Examining female meiocytes of maize by confocal microscopy.
abstract: Meiosis is a key step in sexual plant reproduction. Cytological analysis of meiosis enables hypotheses of gene function during meiosis to be confirmed or discarded. Observation of meiosis in the female reproductive organs in many higher plants is technically challenging because the cells are enclosed deep within the nucellus and ovule tissues. In this chapter, we describe a simple staining procedure using Schiff's reagent optimized for use with confocal microscopy to observe meiosis within intact ovules of Zea mays (maize). Using this procedure we present images taken by confocal laser scanning microscopy of wild-type meiotic cells in whole-mount maize ovules.
authors.affiliation: New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Philippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barrell
authors.forename: Ueli
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Grossniklaus
mesh_terms: D055993:Germ Cells, Plant; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics*