Nucleolar and perichromosomal RNA synthesis during meiotic prophase in the mouse testis.

The transcriptional activity during meiotic prophase in the mouse testis is studied with light microscopy and high-resolution autoradiographic techniques using [(3)H]uridine as a labeled precursor. In the present study, two types of RNA synthesis are detected during meiotic prophase: an extranucleolar RNA synthesis of perichromosomal localization and a nucleolar RNA synthetic activity. In some of the autosomes and close to the basal knobs, the activity of the nucleolar organizers is evidenced by the incorporation of [(3)H]uridine into nucleolar masses from zygotene on and at earlier labeling times. The evolution of nucleoli and the formation of a nucleolus attached to the sex pair are described during the different meiotic stages. Perichromosomal labeling, from leptotene on, reaches a maximum during middle pachytene and falls progressively to a low level at longer incorporation times. Sertoli's cell, the most active RNA synthetic cell in the seminiferous epithelium, rises to a maximum of labeling and drops at earlier times compared with the meiotic prophase cells. The condensed sex chromosomes show some scattered silver grains especially at middle pachytene. The axial chromosome cores and synaptonemal complexes are devoid of silver grains during the meiotic prophase. The observations suggest that a control mechanism operates during meiotic prophase to regulate transcriptional activity in the sex chromosomes and to provide differential RNA synthesis in autosomal bivalents at various stages of prophase and within certain segments of the chromosomes.