Summary
A reliable technique for staining human chromosomal nucleolar organizers (NOR's) with silver solutions is described. The NOR's can be selectively stained dark brown by silver solutions leaving the chromosome arms unstained and available for counterstaining with orcein or Giemsa dyes. Unequivocal identification of chromosome pairs bearing NOR's can be achieved using fluorescent banding techniques followed by silver staining. The silver staining procedure for NOR's was simplified and standardized through control of the chemical and physical conditions during silver impregnation and developing.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartalos, M., Rainer, J. O.: Human chromosome mapping with an ammoniacal silver staining procedure. Acta Genet. med. (Roma) 21, 139–142 (1972)
Black, M. M., Ansley, H. R.: Histone staining with ammoniacal silver. Science 143, 693–695 (1964)
Black, M. M., Ansley, H. R.: Histone specificity revealed by ammoniacal silver staining. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 14, 177–181 (1966)
Black, M. M., Speer, F. D., Lillick, L. C.: Acid-extractable nuclear proteins of cancer cells. I. Staining with ammoniacal silver. J. nat. Cancer Inst. 25, 967–977 (1960)
Bloom, S. E., Buss, E. G.: Ammoniacal silver staining of embryonic chicken cells and chromosomes. Poultry Sci. 48, 1114–1116 (1969)
Denton, T. E., Howell, W. M., Barrett, J. V.: Human nucleolar organizer chromosomes: satellite associations. Chromosoma (Berl.) (in press, 1975)
Gilbert, A. B.: Triple silver impregnation for selective staining of avian nerves. Stain Technol. 40, 301–304 (1965)
Goodpasture, C., Bloom, S. E.: Visualization of nucleolar organizer regions in mammalian chromosomes using silver staining. Chromosoma (Berl.) 53, 37–50 (1975)
Goodpasture, C., Bloom, S. E., Hsu, T. C., Arrighi, F. E.: Human nucleolus organizers: The satellites or the stalks? Amer. J. hum. Genet. (in press, 1976)
Howell, W. M., Denton, T. E.: An ammoniacal-silver stain technique specific for satellite III DNA regions on human chromosomes. Experientia (Basel) 30, 1364–1366 (1974)
Howell, W. M., Denton, T. E., Diamond, J. R.: Differential staining of the satellite regions of human acrocentric chromosomes. Experientia (Basel) 31, 260–262 (1975)
Neu, R. L., Ortega, C. C., Barg, G. A., Pinto, W., Jr., Gardner, L. I., Howell, W. M., Denton, T. E.: Inclusion of satellites in an 18/21 translocation chromosome revealed by ammoniacalsilver staining (sat-banding) in a case of partial trisomy 18. J. med. Genet. (in press, 1976)
Peters, A.: Experiments on the mechanism of silver staining. I. Impregnation. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 96, 84–102 (1955a)
Peters, A.: Experiments on the mechanism of silver staining. II. Development. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 96, 103–115 (1955b)
Weddell, G., Glees, P.: The early stages in the degeneration of cutaneous nerve fibres. J. Anat. 76, 65–93 (1941)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bloom, S.E., Goodpasture, C. An improved technique for selective silver staining of nucleolar organizer regions in human chromosomes. Hum. Genet. 34, 199–206 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00278889
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00278889