Molecular Cytogenetics in the Genus Brachypodium

Cytogenetics is the part of biology that focuses on the study of nuclear genomes at the microscopic level. In its modern incarnation, which is known as molecular cytogenetics, it represents a multidiscipline that amalgamates the various methodological approaches of cytology and molecular genetics as well as advanced microscopy and digital image processing. One of the most spectacular molecular cytogenetic techniques is fluorescence in situ hybridisation, which offers unprecedented insights into the various aspects of nuclear genome organisation at the level of mitotic and meiotic chromosomes and in the interphase nucleus. A complementary cytomolecular approach that utilises fluorescent antibodies that target methylated DNA or chemically modified histones in situ gives in-depth insights into the epigenetic modifications of chromatin that govern the modulation of the gene expression.