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Ultrastructural detection of kinetochores by silver impregnation
J S Rufas1, C Mazzella, C García de la Vega
1Departamento de Biología, Edificio de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
We describe a simple silver impregnation method for the ultrastructural detection of kinetochores on meiotic chromosomes of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans. Testes were fixed with glutaraldehyde and silver-impregnated. After Epon 812 embedding, ultrathin cutting and counterstaining with uranyl acetate, sections were studied by transmission electron microscopy. The meiotic chromosomes showed differentially silver-impregnated 'ball and cup' kinetochores. Some pericentriolar material also showed silver deposits. These observations are discussed in the light of previous results obtained by light microscopy of silver-stained spermatocytes in which both kinetochores and pericentriolar material were also preferentially stained. These results suggest a role for acidic proteins in the composition of these structures.