A short-term culture method for the preparation of chromosome spreads from Rana pipiens.

Chromosomes suitable for karyotyping were produced from short-term cultures of cells from embryonic northern leopard frogs, Rana pipiens, at various growth stages. Embryos were minced in a trypsin solution. The tissue fragments were subsequently cultured in an electrolytic solution containing fetal calf serum and Colcemid. We found this technique to be highly reproducible. In contrast to the conventional squash technique we were able to obtain a greater number of metaphase spreads suitable for identification and analysis of individual chromosomal aberrations.