Ultrastructural localization of histones in epiphyseal chondrocytes.

Epiphyseal growth plate chondrocyte nuclei of growing rats were studied for histone content using the ammoniacal silver technique. This stain, which is specific for the demonstration of the arginine-rich fractions of histones, revealed that growth plate nuclei vary in their histone content. Nuclei of cells of the proliferating zone revealed a significantly greater amount of postformalin ammoniacal silver deposit consistent with the presence of arginine-rich histones.