The karyotypes of four South American species of Cestrum (C. capsulare, C. corymbosum, C. laevigatum and C. megalophylum) were studied using conventional staining, C-CMA/DAPI chromosome banding and FISH with 45S and 5S rDNA probes. The karyotypes showed a chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 16, with metacentric chromosomes, except for the eighth submeta- to acrocentric pair. Several types of heterochromatin were detected, which varied in size, number, distribution and base composition. The C-CMA+ bands and 45S rDNA were located predominantly in terminal regions. The C-CMA+/DAPI+ bands appeared in interstitial and terminal regions, and the C-DAPI+ bands were found in all chromosome regions. The 5S rDNA sites were observed on the long arm of pair 8 in all species... |