FISH on Sperms, Spermatocytes and Oocytes

It is well known that chromosome in situ hybridization allows the unequivocal identification of targeted human somatic chromosomes. Different fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques have been developed over the years and, following mitotic studies, meiotic analyses have been performed using these different techniques. The application of FISH protocols to meiotic cells requires the adaptation of standard protocols to the particularities of these cells. Specific sample fixation is usually required, and in some cases samples need to go through particular pretreatments to guarantee successful FISH. The application of FISH to meiotic cytogenetic research has proven to be very useful and has provided significant information about many of the processes that take place during human gametogenesis. The protocols described in this chapter illustrate the processing of different meiotic samples as well as the FISH procedures.