Abstract
The sperm nuclei of Aulacomya ater, family Mitylidae, contain three proteins (X, Aa5 and Aa6) which are specific to this cell type coexisting with a set of five somatic-type histones. Information about the chromatin structure resulting from this kind of association is scarce. Therefore, we have probed the structure of this sperm chromatin through digestion with micrococcal nuclease in combination with salt fractionation. The data obtained have allowed us to propose a nucleosomal arrangement for this chromatin. However, two types of nucleosomes would be present in agreement with their protein components.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bloch D: Histones of Sperm. In: RC King (ed.) Handbook of Genetics. Plenum Press, New York, London, vol 5, pp 139–167, 1976
Ausio J, Van Holde KE: A dual chromatin organization in the sperm of the bivalve mollusc Spisula solidissima. Eur J Biochem 165: 363–371, 1987
Khrapuna N, Kadura S, Dragan A: Rearrangements of chromatin structure during spermatogenesis of squid. Eur J Biochem 175: 609–613, 1988
Zalensky AO, Zalenskaya IA: Basic chromosomal proteins of marine invertebrates-III. The proteins from sperm of Bivalvia molluscs. Comp Biochem Physiol 66B: 415–419, 1980
Ausio J, Subirana JA: Nuclear proteins and organization of chromatin in spermatozoa of Mytilus edulis. Exp Cell Res 141: 39–45, 1982
Olivares C, Ganz H, Inostroza D: A comparative study of the basic nuclear proteins from sperm of bivalve molluscs. Comp Biochem Physiol 83B: 185–189, 1986
Olivares C, Ruiz S, Cornudella L: Characterization of histone and protamine variants in sperm of the bivalve mollusc Aulacomya ater. FEBS Lett 205(2): 195–199, 1986
Ausio J: Structural variability and compositional homology of the protamine-like components of the sperm from the bivalve molluscs. Comp Biochem Physiol 85B: 439–449, 1986
Azorin F, Martinez AB, Subirana JA: Organization of nucleosomes and spacer DNA in chromatin fibres. Int J Biol Macromol 2: 81–86, 1980
Subirana JA: Studies on the thermal denaturation of nucleohistones. J Mol Biol 74: 363–367, 1973
Sanders M: Fractionation of nucleosomes by salt elution from micrococcal nuclease-digested nuclei. J Cell Biol 79: 97–109, 1978
Alfageme CR, Zweidler A, Mahowald A, Cohen LH: Histones of Drosophila embryos. Electrophoretic isolation and structural studies. J Biol Chem 219–3279, 1974
Zamenhof S: Preparation and assay of the deoxyrribonucleic acid from animal tissues. Methods in Enzymol 3: 696, 1957
Olivares C: Interacción proteinas-DNA en cromatina de invertebrados marinos. Ph D Thesis, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 1986
Axel R: Cleavage of DNA in nuclei and chromatin with Staphylococcal nuclease. Biochemistry 14: 2921–2925, 1975
Avramova Z, Zalensky A, Tsanev R: Biochemical and ultrastructural study of the sperm chromatin from Mytilus galloprovincialis. Exp Cell Res 152: 231–239, 1984
Zalensky AO, Avramova ZV: Nucleosomal organization of a part of chromatin in mollusc sperm nuclei with a mixed basic protein composition. Mol Biol Rep 10: 69–74, 1984
Ausio J: An unusual cysteine-containing histone H1-like protein and two protamine-like proteins are the major nuclear proteins of the sperm of the bivalve mollusc Macoma nasuta. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 263: 10141–10150, 1988
Azorin F, Olivares C, Jordan A, Pérez-Grau L, Cornudella L, Subirana JA: Heterogeneity of the histone-containing chromatin in sea cucumber spermatozoa. Exp Cell Res 148: 331–334, 1983
Azorin, Rocha E, Cornudella L, Subirana JA: Anomalous nuclease digestion of Holothuria sperm chromatin containing histone H1 variants. Eur J Biochem 148: 529–532, 1985
Olivares C, Azorin F, Subirana JA, Cornudella L: The interaction of the histone H1-related protein Øo with chromatin. Biophys Chem 28: 51–57, 1987
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Olivares, C., Ruiz, S. Nucleosomal organization of chromatin in sperm nuclei of the bivalve mollusc Aulacomya ater . Mol Cell Biochem 101, 93–99 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229527
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229527