Abstract
Models of chromatid structure are based on inferences made from genetic, cytological, and cytochemical observations. An alternative approach can provide limits as to the number of identical subunits present in chromatids. This method is based on the demonstration that nucleotide sequence diversity may be estimated from the kinetics of renaturation of denatured DNA. Measurements of DNA content and renaturation rate constants are given for several eukaryotic DNAs. Control experiments involved measurements of renaturation kinetics of DNAs from bacteria and bacteriophage. These estimates show that most of the nucleotide sequences in mouse, Drosophila, and Ciona DNA are present only once per sperm. Since the reduction of DNA content during meiosis indicates that mouse sperm contain a haploid set of chromatids, it follows that a set of mouse meiotic chromatids contains a single copy of most sequences. Models of chromatid structure which postulate multiple subunits with identical nucleotide sequences are therefore not tenable for mouse meiotic chromatids. This method of analyzing nucleotide sequence diversity may be of general use in designing models of chromatid structure in other organisms.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atkin, N. B., Mattinson, G., Becak, W., Ohno, S.: The comparative DNA content of 19 species of placental mammals, reptiles, and birds. Chromosoma (Berl.) 17, 1–10 (1965).
—, Ohno, S.: DNA values of four primitive chordates. Chromosoma (Berl.) 23, 10–13 (1967).
Bernardi, G.: Chromatography of nucleic acids on bydroxylapatite. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 174, 423–448 (1969).
Bristow, D. A., Deuchar, E. M.: Changes in nucleic acid concentration during the development of Xenopus laevis embryos. Exp. Cell Res. 35, 580–589 (1964).
Britten, R. J., Kohne, D. E.: Nucleotide sequence repetition in DNA. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Year Book 66, 73–108 (1967).
—: Repeated sequences in DNA. Science 161, 529–540 (1968).
Brown, D., Dawid, I. B.: Specific gene amplification in oocytes. Science 160, 272–280 (1968).
Burton, K.: A study of the conditions and mechanism of the diphenylamine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochem. J. 62, 315 (1956).
—: Determination of DNA concentration with diphenylamine. In: Methods in enzymology, XII B, 163–166. New York: Academic Press 1968.
Cairns, J.: The chromosome of E. coli. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 28, 43–46 (1963).
Davidson, E. H., Hough, B. R.: High sequence diversity in the RNA synthesized at the lampbrush stage of oögenesis. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 63, 342–349 (1969).
DuPraw, E. J.: Macromolecular organization of nuclei and chromosomes: a folded fibre model based on whole-mount electron microscopy. Nature (Lond.) 206, 338–343 (1965).
Freifelder, D.: The use of NaClO4 to isolate bacteriophage nucleic acids. In: Methods in enzymology, XII A, 550–554. New York: Academic Press 1968.
Gall, J. G.: Kinetics of deoxyribonuclease action on chromosomes. Nature (Lond.) 198, 36–38 (1963).
Gillis, M., De Ley, J., De Cleene, M.: The determination of molecular weight of bacterial genome DNA from renaturation rates. Europ. J. Biochem. 12, 143–153 (1970).
Griffen, A. B.: Nuclear cytology. In: Biology of the laboratory mouse (E. L. Green, ed.), 2nd edit. New York: McGraw-Hill 1966.
Hollenberg, C. P., Borst, P., Bruggen, E. F. J. van: Mitochondrial DNA. V. A 25 μ closed circular duplex DNA molecule in wild-type yeast mitochondria. Structure and genetic complexity. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 209, 1–15 (1970).
Jones, K. W.: Chromosomal and nuclear location of mouse satellite DNA in individual cells. Nature (Lond.) 225, 912–915 (1970).
Kingsbury, D. T.: Estimate of the genome size of various microorganisms. J. Bact. 98, 1400–1401 (1969).
Kohne, D. E.: Isolation and characterization of bacterial RNA cistrons. Biophys. J. 8, 1104–1118 (1968).
Kurnick, N. B., Herskowitz, I. H.: The estimation of polyteny in Drosophila salivary gland nuclei based on determination of DNA content. J. cell comp. Physiol. 39, 281–299 (1952).
Laird, C. D., McCarthy, B. J.: Magnitude of interspecific nucleotide sequence variability in Drosophila. Genetics 60, 303–322 (1968).
—: Molecular characterization of the Drosophila genome. Genetics 63, 865–882 (1969).
—, McConaughy, B. L., McCarthy, B. J.: Rate of fixation of nucleotide substitutions in evolution. Nature (Lond.) 224, 149–154 (1969).
Maguire, M. P.: Nomarski interference contrast resolution of subchromatid structure. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 60, 533–536 (1968).
Mandel, M., Marmur, J.: Use of ultraviolet absorbance-temperature profile for determining the guanine plus cytosine content of DNA. In: Methods in enzymology, XII B, 195–206. New York: Academic Press 1968.
—, Schildkraut, C. L., Marmur, J.: Use of CsCl gradient analysis for determining the guanine plus cytosine content of DNA. In: Methods in enzymology, XII B, 184–195. New York: Academic Press 1968.
Marmur, J.: A procedure for the isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid from micro-organisms. J. molec. Biol. 3, 208–218 (1961).
—, Doty, P.: Thermal renaturation of deoxyribonucleic acids. J. molec. Biol. 3, 585–594 (1961).
Mazaitis, A. J., Bautz, E. K. F.: Partial isolation of an rIIB segment of T4 DNA by hybridization with homologous RNA. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 57, 1633–1637 (1967).
Miyazawa, Y., Thomas, C. A., Jr.: Nucleotide composition of short segments of DNA molecules. J. molec. Biol. 11, 223–237 (1965).
Pardue, M. L., Gall, J. G.: Chromosomal localization of mouse satellite DNA. Science 168, 1356–1358 (1970).
Patau, K.: Absorption microphotometry of irregular-shaped objects. Chromosoma (Berl.) 5, 341–362 (1952).
Prescott, D. M.: The structure and replication of eukaryotic chromosomes. In: Advanc. Cell Biol. 1, 57–117 (1970).
Rasch, E.M., Barr, H. J., Rasch, R. W.: The DNA content of sperm of Drosophila melanogaster. Chromosoma (Berl.) 33 (in press, 1971).
Rothfels, K., Sexsmith, E., Heimburger, M., Krause, M. O.: Chromosome size and DNA content of species of Anemone L. and related genera (Ranunculaceae). Chromosoma (Berl.) 20, 54–74 (1966).
Sober, H. A. (editor): Handbook of biochemistry. Chemical Rubber Co. 1968.
Stockert, J. C.: Half-chromatids in the human chromosomes from leucocyte cultures. Cytologia (Tokyo) 34, 160–162 (1969).
Studier, F. W.: Sedimentation studies of the size and shape of DNA. J. molec. Biol. 11, 373–390 (1965).
Sueoka, N., Chiang, K., Kates, J.: DNA replication in Chlamydomonas reinhardi. I.Isotopic transfer experiments with an eight-zoospore-producing strain. J. molec. Biol. 25, 47 (1967).
Swift, H. H.: The desoxyribose nucleic acid content of animal nuclei. Physiol. Zool. 23, 169–198 (1950).
Thomas, C. A., Jr.: The arrangement of information in DNA molecules. J. gen. Physiol. 49, 143–168 (1966).
—, Hamkalo, D. A., Misra, D. N., Lee, C. S.: The cyclization of eucaryotic DNA fragments. J. molec. Biol. 51, 621–632 (1970).
Tomizawa, J., Anraku, N.: Molecular mechanisms of genetic recombination in bacteriophage. IV. Absence of polynucleotide interruption in DNA of T4 and λ phage particles, with special reference to heterozygosis. J. molec. Biol. 11, 509 (1965).
Vendreley, C.: L'acide déoxyribonucléique du noyau des cellules animates. Son rôle possible dans la biochimie de l'hérédité. Bull. Biol. France et Belg. 86, 1–87 (1952).
Wells, R., Birnstiel, M.: Kinetic complexity of chloroplastal deoxyribonucleic acid and mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid from higher plants. Biochem. J. 112, 777–786 (1969).
Wetmur, J. G., Davidson, N.: Kinetics of renaturation of DNA. J. molec. Biol. 31, 349–370 (1968).
Wilson, E. B.: The cell in development and heredity, 3rd edit. New York: Macmillan 1934.
Wolfe, S. L., Martin, P. G.: The ultrastructure of chromosomes from two species of Vicia. Exp. Cell Res. 50, 140–150 (1968).
Wolff, S.: Strandedness of chromosomes. Intern. Rev. Cytol. 25, 279–296 (1969).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Laird, C.D. Chromatid structure: relationship between DNA content and nucleotide sequence diversity. Chromosoma 32, 378–406 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00285251
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00285251