title: Ultrastructural detection of kinetochores by silver impregnation.
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.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología, Edificio de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rufas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazzella
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García de la Vega
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Suja
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006110:Grasshoppers / Q000235:genetics*; D018386:Kinetochores / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D016622:Silver Staining; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure