Y chromosome replication and chromosome arrangement in germ line cells and sperm of the rat

The chronology of Y chromosome replication in meiosis of male adult rats was investigated. ³HTdR was injected into the testes and animals were sacrificed at 2-hour intervals from 2 to 24 hour after the injection; and at 2-day intervals from 2 to 64 days after the injection. Autoradiograms from germ line cell spreads were prepared. The study of spermatogonial metaphases showed that the Y chromosome is the last to begin and end DNA synthesis. Consequently, by detecting such a pattern of replication it was possible to trace the asynchronous Y from spermatogonia to sperm. Assuming that Y chromosomes are early replicating in preimplantation embryos of mammals it is proposed that Y chromosome of rats shift from late to early replicating in the first divisions of the fertilized egg. Moreover, the analysis of the patterns of sperm labeling allow one to infer that chromosomes are end-to-end associated in sperm nuclei, and that the Y chromosome and perhaps autosomes as well occupy a constant position in sperm of rats.