Formation of packaging units in circket late spermatid nuclei as visualized by spreading techniques (1)

The nuclear organization of a particular step of cricket late spermiogenesis was examined by an electron microscope study of spermatids dispersed by air-liquid surface tension. Cell spreading techniques facilitate a display of condensing spermatid nuclei sufficient to allow interpretation of chromatin packaging processes. Results indicate that nuclei of late developing cricket spermatids are integrated by multiple packaging units as the result of an orderly aggregation of individual chromatin fibers. Each packaging unit consists of a thick fasicle, formed by the alignment of smooth chromatin fibers, which frays out into tassels of looped fibers.