Mouse sex vesicle. C-band and pairing at the light and electron microscope

Summary C banded mouse pachytene chromosomes were studied with the light and electron microscopes by the whole mount technique. The X and Y chromosomes show pairing by the long, by the short or by both long and short arms. Assuming Lyon's hypothesis, the latter suggests that the Y segment transferred to the X is intercalar. With the light microscope, a negative image of the synaptonemal complex is evidenced.This work was supported by grants of the Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundo Especial de Despesas do Instituto Butantan (FEDIB).We acknowledge Dr. N. Leon for his editorial suggestions.