The relation between chromomeres, replicons, operons, transcription units, genes, viruses and palindromes

The role of nuclear bodies in gene expression and disease

This review summarizes the current understanding of the role of nuclear bodies in regulating gene expression. The compartmentalization of cellular processes, such as ribosome biogenesis, RNA processing, cellular response to stress, transcription, modification and assembly of spliceosomal snRNPs, histone gene synthesis and nuclear RNA retention, has significant implications for gene regulation. These functional nuclear domains include the nucleolus, nuclear speckle, nuclear stress body, transcription factory, Cajal body, Gemini of Cajal body, histone locus body and paraspeckle. We herein review the roles of nuclear bodies in regulating gene expression and their relation to human health and disease.

Ultrastructure of somatic and meiotic nucleoids

In this review emphasis is placed on the contribution of transmission electron microscopy to the analysis of spread chromosomes and nucleoids. Support is advanced for the DNA loop and rosette organization of meiotic and metaphase chromosomes and nucleoids. Extensive discussion is given to the biochemical treatments used for producing nucleoids and the effect of divalent cations and chelating agents on chromatin compactization (supercoiling). Detailed studies on nucleoids from hepatocytes are presented, with emphasis on the significance of DNA attachment to the internal nuclear matrix and to the nuclear lamina. It is firmly predicted that from the increasing knowledge of the structural organization of eukaryotic chromatin and the genome, a greater understanding of the functional roles of the various intranuclear structures will ultimately follow.

Eukaryotic genome: model considerations

The paper presents a new model of chromosome structure based on the assumption that multiple circular subunits of DNA exist. The essential difference with previously described models is the circular DNA unit forms a central chromosome axis. Chromosome configurations during various phases of the cell cycle depend on the various conformations of this central integrating unit. The described model can be generalized for all haploid set of eukaryotic nucleus. Some aspects of the chromosome structure and their functions have been discussed.

Chromomeres and puffing in experimentally induced polytene chromosomes of Calliphora erythrocephala

In the most advanced types of meroistic ovaries the synthesis of RNA for the growing oocyte in each follicle is taken over by nurse cells, i.e., sister cells of the definite egg cell. In calliphora, the highly polyploid nurse cells (NC) develop a polytene karyotype under conditions of strict brother-sister inbreeding and using a controlled selection technique. A comparison of the polytene NC-chromosomes with those from the pupal bristle forming cells reveals an unexpected discrepancy: while both chromosome complements exhibit a constant banding pattern it is not possible to homologize the two tissue specific patterns by identifying homologous band-sequences. Puffing in NC likewise turns out to be unusual in its extent as well as in that is remains constant during long periods of oogenesis. In a more detailed discussion an interpretation and evaluation of these findings will be attempted.

Why plant chromosomes do not show G-bands

Giemsa techniques have refused to reveal G-banding patterns in plant chromosomes. Whatever has been differentially stained so far in plant chromosomes by various techniques represents constitutive heterochromatin (redefined in this paper). Patterns of this type must not be confused with the G-banding patterns of higher vertebrates which reveal an additional chromosome segmentation beyond that due to constitutive heterochromatin. The absence of G-bands in plants is explained as follows: 1) Plant chromosomes in metaphase contain much more DNA than G-banding vertebrate chromosomes of comparable length. At such a high degree of contraction vertebrate chromosomes too would not show G-bands, simply for optical reasons. 2) The striking correspondence of pachytene chromomeres and mitotic G-bands in higher vertebrates suggests that pachytene chromomeres are G-band equivalents, and that this may also be the case in plants. G-banded vertebrate chromosomes are on the average only 2.3 times shorter in mitosis than in pachytene; the chromomeric pattern therefore still can be shown. In contrast, plant chromosomes are approximately 10 times shorter at mitotic metaphase; their pachytene-like arrangement of chromomeres is therefore no longer demonstrable.