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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 7667

Arno Tiedtke; Meiosis in Tetrahymena thermophila. Visualization of Chromosomes, Nucleoli, and Spindle Microtubules using Silver Stain. Protistologica XVIII(1):33-42, 1982

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The pregamic divisions of the micronucleus in conjugation of Tetrahymena thermophila were reinvestigated using a modified ammoniacal silver (AS) staining technique. For the first time this new technique allows a simultaneous demonstration of chromosomes, nucleoli, and spindle microtubules at the light microscopical level. A microtubular basket beneath the nuclear envelope is demonstrated during the process of micronuclear elongation and contraction. Microtubules of the spindle apparatus during meiotic divisions are stained as well. Preferential staining of macronuclear nucleoli is shown during conjugation and in isolated macronuclei. Moreover, chromosomes of anaphase I of meiosis are differentially stained allowing attempts of idiogramming Tetrahymena chromosomes.