Histone Staining with Ammoniacal Silver

Abstract

Under controlled conditions, ammoniacal silver (A-S) stains the bands of Dipteran salivary gland chromosomes in a precise and selective manner. Such staining is dependent upon the histone content of the band, as shown by the effects of selective extraction and blocking of the histones. The effects of qcid extraction and HONO solution on the A-S staining of different bands suggest that specific genes may have particular histones associated with them.