Mitotic prophase chromosome condensation plays an essential role in nuclear division being therefore regulated by highly conserved mechanisms. However, degrees of chromatin condensation in prophase-prometaphase cells may vary along the chromosomes resulting in specific condensation patterns. We examined different condensation patterns (CPs) of prophase and prometaphase chromosomes and investiga...

Isolated testes of the locust Schistocerca gregaria were immersed in solutions of tritiated thymidine, cytidine, uridine, or arginine for short periods to study nucleic acid and protein synthesis during spermatogenesis. DNA synthesis in this tissue is completed prior to initiation of meiosis. Protein synthesis continues throughout the whole meiotic cycle as well as during spermatid development....

The degree of chromatin condensation in isolated rat liver nuclei and chicken erythrocyte nuclei was studied by phase-contrast microscopy as a function of solvent pH, K(+) and Mg(++) concentrations Data were represented as "phase" maps, and standard solvent conditions selected that reproducibly yield granular, slightly granular, and homogeneous nuclei Nuclei in these various states were examine...

The linear sequence of DNA encodes access to the complete set of proteins that carry out cellular functions. Yet, much of the functionality appropriate for each cell is nested within layers of dynamic regulation and organization, including a hierarchy of chromatin structural states and spatial arrangement within the nucleus. There remain limitations in our understanding of gene expression withi...

Background: Methotrexate (MTX), as antimetabolite and antifolate compound, is used to treat the certain types of tissue over activity and cancers. The MTX interferes with cell division through inhibiting the purine and pyrimidine synthesis. Moreover, the toxic impact of the MTX on gonadal tissues has been reported. Therefore, current study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of corn...

Haploid spermatids undergo extensive cellular, molecular and morphological changes to form spermatozoa during spermiogenesis. Abnormalities in these steps can lead to serious male fertility problems, from oligospermia to complete azoospermia. CHD5 is a chromatin-remodeling nuclear protein expressed almost exclusively in the brain and testis. Male Chd5 knockout (KO) mice have deregulated spermat...

Posttranslational modifications of core histones contribute to driving changes in chromatin conformation and compaction. Herein, we investigated the role of histone deacetylation on the mitotic process by inhibiting histone deacetylases shortly before mitosis in human primary fibroblasts. Cells entering mitosis with hyperacetylated histones displayed altered chromatin conformation associated wi...