Here we have used siRNAs and time-lapse epifluorescence microscopy to examine the roles of various candidate mitotic cyclins in chromatin condensation in HeLa cells. Knocking down cyclin A2 resulted in a substantial (∼7 h) delay in chromatin condensation and histone H3 phosphorylation, and expressing an siRNA-resistant form of cyclin A2 partially rescued chromatin condensation. There was no det...

Cell migration is a fundamental process that is necessary for the development and survival of multicellular organisms. Here, we show that cell migration is contingent on global condensation of the chromatin fiber. Induction of directed cell migration by the scratch-wound assay leads to decreased DNaseI sensitivity, alterations in the chromatin binding of architectural proteins and elevated leve...

It is generally believed that silent chromatin is condensed and transcriptionally active chromatin is decondensed. However, little is known about the relationship between the condensation levels and gene expression. Here we report the condensation levels of interphase chromatin in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe examined by super-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Unexpectedly, sil...

BACKGROUND During the final stages of differentiation of mammalian erythroid cells, the chromatin is condensed and enucleated. We previously reported that Rac GTPases and their downstream target, mammalian homolog of Drosophila diaphanous 2 (mDia2), are required for enucleation of in vitro cultured mouse fetal liver erythroblasts. However, it is not clear how chromatin condensation is achieved ...

Ultrastructural and cytochemical studies were carried out on sperm nucleus of the beetles, Coelomera lanio and Diabrotica speciosa. Nuclear development involves changes in the shape and in the degree of chromatin condensation, with specific aggregation patterns of DNA-histone complex occurring during this process. Lamellar and paracrystalline arrangements of the nuclear material were observed i...

Protamine, a small, strongly positively-charged protein, plays key role in achieving chromatin condensation inside sperm cells and is also involved the formulation of nanoparticles for gene therapy and...

In several mammalian species, the configuration of germinal vesicle (GV) chromatin correlates with the developmental competence of oocytes. Yet, no study has been published on the configuration of GV chromatin in ferret, nor is it known whether a specific configuration predicts meiotic competence in this species, in spite of the potential importance of ferret cloning to the study of human disea...

The Ph1 locus in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) enforces diploid-like behavior in the first metaphase of meiosis. To test the hypothesis that this chromosome pairing control is exercised by affecting the degree of chromatin condensation, the dispersion of rye chromatin in interphase nuclei in somatic tissues of wheat-rye chromosome translocations 1RS.1BL, 2RS.2BL, 2BS.2RL, 3RS.3DL and 5...

In this study calf thymus chromatin was fractionated into active (S1 and S2) and inactive (P 2) chromatin. Then the interaction of an anthracyc1ine antibiotic, adriamycin, with these fractions was investigated employing absorption and difference UV Nis spectroscopy and SDS and agarose gel electrophoreses. The results suggest that the binding of adriamycin to the S 1 fraction is slight but ...