Chromosoma

, Volume 86, Issue 3, pp 359–373 | Cite as

Dense bodies in silver-stained spermatocytes of the chinese hamster: behavior and cytochemical nature

  • Hideki Takanari
  • S. Pathak
  • T. C. Hsu
Article
Received:

Abstract

From the silver staining behavior of various organelles in the nucleus we have divided meiotic prophase (leptotene to the diffuse stage) of the male Chinese hamster into five stages. Components within the nucleus, such as synaptonemal complex (SC), sex bivalent (SB), nucleolus organizer regions (NORs), chromatin and the dense bodies, showed a characteristic feature in each stage of meiotic prophase. The lampbrush chromosome stage was found to be followed by the diffuse stage. The chromatin around SC began to be organized at early pachytene and formed a brush-like structure at late pachytene. During early prophase stages a dramatic change in SB morphology occurred. Three types of morphology of SB were recognized: (1) the XY pair with long synapsis and fusiform or diffuse thickening of the unpaired portions (late zygotene and early pachytene), (2) desynapsed, thread-like axes seen at midpachytene, and (3) multistranded, branched, and anastomosed axes seen at late pachytene.

Two types of the dense body were found during meiotic prophase; the double body in early stage (leptotene to early pachytene) and the single body in later stages (mid pachytene to diffuse stage). The small precursors of the double body existed at early leptotene but they increased in size and also changed the silver stainability during zygotene, becoming the characteristic double body consisted of one light body (L-body) and one dark body (D-body). These two bodies can also be recognized after Giemsa or acridine orange (AO) staining. The L-body fluoresced reddish orange after AO staining. The single body, which is probably formed by amalgamation of the D- and the L-bodies, showed a staining reaction similar to that of the D-body.

Data from pancreatic lipase and protease treatments suggest that the D-body contained a lipoprotein.

Keywords

Acridine Orange Synaptonemal Complex Dense Body Acridine Orange Meiotic Prophase 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Bostock, C.J., Sumner, A.T.: The Eukaryotic Chromosome, p. 347. Amsterdam, New York: North Holland Publishing Company 1978Google Scholar
  2. Dresser, M.E., Moses, M.J.: Silver staining of synaptonemal complexes in surface spreads for light and electron microscopy. Exp. Cell Res. 121, 416–419 (1979)Google Scholar
  3. Dresser, M.E., Moses, M.J.: Synaptonemal complex karyotyping in spermatocytes of the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus). IV. Light and electron microscopy of synapsis and nucleolar development by silver staining. Chromosoma (Berl.) 76, 1–22 (1980)Google Scholar
  4. Fletcher, J.M.: Light microscope analysis of meiotic prophase chromosomes by silver staining. Chromosoma (Berl.) 72, 241–248 (1979)Google Scholar
  5. Forejt, J., Goetz, P.: Synaptonemal complexes of mouse and human pachytene chromosomes visualized by silver staining in air-dried preparations. Chromosoma (Berl.) 73, 255–261 (1979)Google Scholar
  6. Hofgärtner, F.J., Schmid, M., Krone, W., Zenzes, M., Engel, W.: Pattern of activity of nucleolus organizers during spermatogenesis in mammals as analyzed by silver-staining. Chromosoma (Berl.) 71, 197–216 (1979)Google Scholar
  7. Howell, W.M., Black, D.A.: Controlled silver-staining of nucleolus organizer regions with a protective colloidal developer: A 1-step method. Experientia (Basel) 36, 1014–1015 (1980)Google Scholar
  8. Klášterská, I., Natarajan, A.T., Ramel, C.: New observations on mammalian male meiosis. I. Laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) and Rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Hereditas (Lund) 83, 203–214 (1976)Google Scholar
  9. Moses, M.J., Slatton, G.H., Gambling, T.M., Starmer, C.F.: Synaptonemal complex karyotyping in spermatocytes of the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus). III. Quantitative evaluation. Chromosoma (Berl.) 60, 345–375 (1977)Google Scholar
  10. Pathak, S., Elder, F.F.B.: Silver-stained accessory structures on human sex chromosomes. Hum. Genet. 54, 171–175 (1980)Google Scholar
  11. Pathak, S., Hsu, T.C.: Silver-stained structures in mammalian meiotic prophase. Chromosoma (Berl.) 70, 195–203 (1979)Google Scholar
  12. Pathak, S., Lau, Y.-F., Drwinga, H.L.: Observations on the Synaptonemal complex in Armenian hamster spermatocytes by light microscopy. Chromosoma (Berl.) 73, 53–60 (1979)Google Scholar
  13. Pogosianz, H.E.: Meiosis in the Djungarian hamster. I. General pattern of male meiosis. Chromosoma (Berl.) 31, 392–403 (1970)Google Scholar
  14. Quack, B., Noel, B.: The XY chromosome pair in mouse and human spermatocytes, visualized by silver staining. Nature (Lond) 267, 431–433 (1977)Google Scholar
  15. Rasmussen, S.W., Holm, P.B.: Mechanics of meiosis. Hereditas 93, 187–216 (1980)Google Scholar
  16. Rattner, J.B., Goldsmith, M., Hamkalo, B.A.: Chromatin organization during meiotic prophase of Bombyx mori. Chromosoma (Berl.) 79, 215–224 (1980)Google Scholar
  17. Walia, K.B.: Diffuse stage and lampbrush chromosomes in human spermatocytes. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 18, 58–61 (1980)Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1982

Authors and Affiliations

  • Hideki Takanari
    • 1
  • S. Pathak
    • 1
  • T. C. Hsu
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Cell BiologyThe University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at HoustonHoustonUSA

Personalised recommendations