Abstract
A simple method, using silver impregnation after 2 x SSC pretreatment allowed us to demonstrate axial structures (cores) in the metaphase I bivalents of the neo-XY race of Pycnogaster cucullata under bright-field microscopy. Axial structures can also be shown in DNA-depleted metaphase I bivalents, suggesting that DNA is not essential to demonstrate these elements. Specifically differentiated regions, which coincide with kinetochores, secondary constrictions (including the NOR), and chiasmata were also found. These regions have a characteristic morphology and therefore may be utilized for cytogenetic analysis. The simultaneous visualization of all these regions allowed us to establish their spatial relationships and hence the basic structural organization of the neo-XY sex bivalent in this species.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burkholder GD (1983) Silver staining of histone-depleted metaphase chromosomes. Exp Cell Res 147:287–296
Burkholder GD, Duczek LL (1980) Proteins in chromosome banding. I. Effect of G-banding treatments on the proteins of isolate nuclei. Chromosoma 79:29–41
Burkholder GD, Duczeck LL (1982) The effect of chromosome banding techniques on the proteins of isolated chromosomes. Chromosoma 87:425–435
Buys CHCM, Osinga J (1980) Abundance of protein bound sulfhydryl and disulfide groups at chromosomal nucleolus organizing regions. Chromosoma 77:1–11
Dresser ME, Moses MJ (1979) Silver staining of synaptonemal complexes in surface spreads for light and electron microscopy. Exp Cell Res 121:416–419
Earnshaw WC, Laemmli UK (1983) Architecture of metaphase chromosomes and chromosome scaffolds. J Cell Biol 96:84–93
Fernández-Piqueras J, Rodríguez-Campos A, Sentís-Castaño C, Wandosell Jurado F (1982a) Pycnogaster cucullata (Charp.): a polytypic species of Tettigonioidea with X0 and neo XY sex determination. Heredity 48:147–150
Fernández-Piqueras J, Rodríguez-Campos A, Sentís-Castaño C, Rojo García E (1982b) Differential staining of the X-chromosome during meiosis of Orthoptera by a silver impregnation procedure. Chromosoma 85:707–711
Fernández-Piqueras J, Rodríguez-Campos A, Sentís-Castaño C, Rojo García E (1983) Sex chromosome evolution in the polytypic species Pycnogaster cucullata. Heredity 50:217–223
Fernández-Piqueras J, Sentís-Castaño C, Rojo García E, Rodríguez-Campos A (1984) An acidic silver staining method for synaptonemal complexes under light microscopy. J Microsc 133:101–104
Goodpasture C, Bloom SE (1975) Visualization of nucleolar organizer regions in mammalian chromosomes using silver staining. Chromosoma 53:37–50
Hippel PH von, McGhee JD (1972) DNA-protein interactions. Ann Rev Biochem 41:231–300
Howell WM, Hsu TC (1979) Chromosome core structure revealed by silver staining. Chromosoma 73:61–66
Laemmli UK, Cheng SM, Adolph KW, Paulson JR, Brown JA, Baumbach WR (1978) Metaphase chromosome structure: the role of nonhistone proteins. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 42:351–360
Paulson JR, Laemmli UK (1977) The structure of histone-depleted metaphase chromosomes. Cell 12:817–828
Rufas JS, Giménez-Martín G, Esponda P (1982) Presence of a chromatid core in mitotic and meiotic chromosomes of grasshopper. Cell Biol Int Rep 6:261–267
Satya-Prakash KL, Hsu TC, Pathak S (1980) Behaviour of the chromosome core in mitosis and meiosis. Chromosome 81:1–8
Sissoeff I, Grisvard J, Guille E (1976) Studies on metal ions-DNA interactions: specific behaviour of reiterative DNA sequences. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 31:165–199
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sentís, C., Rodriguez-Campos, A., Stockert, J.C. et al. Morphology of the axial structures in the neo-XY sex bivalent of Pycnogaster cucullata (Orthoptera) by silver impregnation. Chromosoma 90, 317–321 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287041
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287041