Isolation of fractions rich in human Y sperm
Ericsson, R.J.; Langevin, C.N.; Nishino, M.
Nature 246(5433): 421-424
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-0836 PMID: 4587152 DOI: 10.1038/246421a0Document Number: 494228
Research into the isolation of human X and Y sperm is now feasible because of the fluorochrome quinacrine that stains the Y chromosome1,2. It is still impossible to identify the Y chromosome in sperm of other mammals, with the possible exception of gorilla sperm3, but when human sperm are stained with this fluorochrome and viewed under fluorescence microscopy, approximately half of them reveal a Y body. The Y body is the distal end of the long arm of the Y chromosome and shows up as a bright fluorescent dot4. The ability to identify the Y chromosome makes possible the collection of data on X and Y sperm5,6.