In situ hybridization histochemistry is a valuable technique for localizing specific messenger RNA (mRNA) and detecting changes in gene expression. Generally, the mRNA of interest has been detected by probes obtained from cloned DNA and labelled to high specific activity by nick translation. Such probes have a number of disadvantages which can be circumvented by the use of short synthetic oligonucleotides designed to be complementary to a known mRNA sequence. We report here that synthetic oligonucleotides complementary to part of the mRNA coding for rat arginine-vasopressin (AVP) can be labelled to high specific activity with [125I], using either the primer extension method with the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I or the 3'-tailing method with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Both AVP probes hybridized well to the magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. A strong autoradiographic signal was present by 2 days, with grains largely confined to the perikaryon. These results compare favorably to those obtained with [32P]- or [3H]-labelled probes. Given the ease of the 3'-tailing method, [125I]-labelled oligonucleotides appear to be especially useful probes for in situ hybridization histochemistry.