Chromosome Botany (2013) 8: 7-12 © Copyright 2013 by the International Society of Chromosome Botany Somatic chromosome differentiation in Cucumis melo L. and C. metuliferus E.Mey. ex Naudin Yoshikazu Hoshi1,6, Michiko Kido2, Kouhei Yagi3, Norikazu Tagashira4, Atsumi Morikawa5 and Katsuya Nagano1 1Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture, Tokai University, Kawayo, Minamiaso-Mura, Aso-Gun, Kumamoto 869-1404, Japan; 2Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokai University; Tokai University, Kawayo, Minamiaso-Mura, Aso-Gun, Kumamoto 869-1404, Japan; 3Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warszawa, Poland; 4Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Hiroshima Jogakuin University, 4-13-1 Ushita Higashi, Higashi-Ku, Hiroshima-City, Hiroshima 732-0063, Japan; 5Agricultural Training Station, School of Agriculture, Tokai University, Kawayo, Minamiaso-Mura, Aso-Gun, Kumamoto 869-1404, Japan 6Author for correspondence: (
[email protected]) Received January 25, 2013; accepted February 22, 2013 ABSTRACT. Fluorescent banding with chromomycin A3 (CMA) and 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were employed to investigate the chromosome differentiation in C. melo and C. metuliferus. The chromosome number of 2n=24 was counted in the two species. Average chromosome lengths, total chromosome lengths and ranges in chromosome lengths of the two species were very similar to each other. In spite of the karyomorphological similarity, fluorescent chromosome banding pattern was quite different in each other. Unlike the C. melo, C. metuliferus had unexpected chromosome- specific CMA and DAPI bands, especially in prometaphase. In FISH, two 5S rDNA and four 45S rDNA signals were detected at the ends of chromosomes of C.