Visualization of Polytene Chromatin in Mosquito Cell Nuclei Using Three-Dimensional Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

Visualization of the Linear and Spatial Organization of Chromosomes in Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are vectors of dangerous human diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, West Nile fever, and lymphatic filariasis. Visualization of the linear and spatial organization of mosquito chromosomes is important for understanding genome structure and function. Utilization of chromosomal inversions as markers for population genetics studies yields insights into mosquito adaptation and evolution. Cytogenetic approaches assist with the development of chromosome-scale genome assemblies that are useful tools for studying mosquito biology and for designing novel vector control strategies. Fluorescence in situ hybridization is a powerful technique for localizing specific DNA sequences within the linear chromosome structure and within the spatial organization of the cell nucleus. Here, we introduce protocols used in our laboratories for chromosome visualization and their application in mosquitoes.