Abstract
A protein having a molecular weight of 73,000 daltons has been purified from the nuclear membranes of preleptotene, leptotene, and zygotene cells. It has been named the leptotene protein (L-protein) because of its role in suppressing the replication of zygotene DNA sequences through leptotene until the initiation of zygotene DNA synthesis. The protein has been found to be highly specific in its inhibitory activity. S-phase replication in somatic nuclei and in microspore nuclei are unaffected by the protein. Only zygotene DNA sequences appear to be affected. L-protein binds specifically to zygotene DNA. The binding is limited to a relatively short DNA segment, probably no longer than 90 base pairs (bp). Chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA do not bind to the protein, but a low level of binding is displayed by DNA from several other eukaryotic species. The L-protein also has the capacity to nick the bound DNA in the presence of ATP. Nicking does not occur in the absence of binding. Using supercoiled plasmids with zygotene DNA inserts as substrates, the nicking has been found to be confined to a small region of the plasmid and to occur in only one of the strands. The L-protein is considered to be one of the principal factors responsible for the irreversible commitment of cells to meiosis at the end of the preleptotene S-phase. It is also proposed that its endonucleolytic activity plays a role in the initiation of synapsis.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Appels R, Bouchard RA, Stern H (1982) cDNA clones from meiotic-specific poly(A)+RNA in Lilium: Homology with sequences in wheat, rye, and maize. Chromosoma 85:591–602
Callan HG (1972) Replication of DNA in the chromosomes of eukaryotes. Proc R Soc Lond B 181:19841
Gonda DK, Radding CM (1983) By searching processively RecA protein pairs DNA molecules that share a limited stretch of homology. Cell 34:647–654
Holm PB (1977) The premeiotic DNA replication of euchromatin and heterochromatin in Lilium longiflorum. Carlsberg Res Commun 42:249–281
Hotta Y, Shepard J (1973) Biochemical aspects of colchicine action on meiotic cells. Mol Gen Genet 122:243–260
Hotta Y, Stern H (1965) Polymerase and kinase activities in relation to RNA synthesis during meiosis. Protoplasma 60:218–232
Hotta Y, Stern H (1971a) Analysis of DNA synthesis during meiotic prophase in Lilium. J Mol Biol 55:337–355
Hotta Y, Stern H (1971b) A DNA-binding protein in meiotic cells of Lilium. Dev Biol 26:87–99
Hotta Y, Stern H (1971c) Meiotic protein in spermatocytes of mammals. Nature 234:83–86
Hotta Y, Stern H (1974) DNA scission and repair during pachytene in Lilium. Chromosoma 46:279–296
Hotta Y, Stern H (1975) Zygotene and pachytene-labeled sequences in the meiotic organization of chromosomes. In: Peacock WJ, Brock RD (eds) The eukaryote chromosome. Australian Nat Univ Press, pp 283–300
Hotta Y, Stern H (1976) Persistent discontinuities in late replicating DNA during meiosis in Lilium. Chromosoma 55:171–182
Hotta Y, Stern H (1981) Small nuclear RNA molecules that regulate nuclease accessibility in specific chromatin regions of meiotic cells. Cell 27:309–319
Ito M, Stern H (1967) Studies of meiosis in vitro. I. In vitro culture of meiotic cells. Dev Biol 16:36–53
Kurata N, Ito M (1978) Electron microscope autoradiography of 3H-thymidine incorporation during the zygotene stage in microsporocytes of lily. Cell Struct Funct 3:349–356
Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685
Maniatis T, Fritsch EF, Sambrook J (1982) Molecular cloning. Cold Spring Harbor Lab, p 545
Morrison A, Cozzarelli NR (1979) Site-specific cleavage of DNA by E. coli DNA gyrase. Cell 17:175–174
Moses MJ, Poorman PA (1981) Synaptonemal complex analysis of mouse chromosomal rearrangements. II. Synaptic adjustment in a tandem duplication. Chromosoma 81:519–536
Ninnemann H, Epel B (1973) Inhibition of cell division by blue light. Exp Cell Res 79:318–326
Rasmussen SW, Holm PB (1980) Mechanics of meiosis. Hereditas 93:187–216
Roth TF, Ito M (1967) DNA dependent formation of the synaptonemal complex at meiotic prophase. J Cell Biol 35:247–255
Stern H, Hotta Y (1967) Chromosome behavior during development of meiotic tissue. In: Goldstein L (ed) The control of nuclear activity. Prentice Hall, pp 47–76
Stern H, Hotta Y (1970) Culture of meiotic cells for biochemical studies. In: Prescott DM (ed) Methods in cell physiology, vol. 4. Academic Press, pp 497–513
Stern H, Hotta Y (1974) Biochemical controls of meiosis. Ann Rev Genet 7:37–66
Stern H, Hotta Y (1977) Biochemistry of meiosis. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 277:277–293
Stern H, Hotta Y (1980) The organization of DNA metabolism during the recombinational phase of meiosis with special reference to humans. Mol Cell Biochem 29:145–158
Toledo LA, Bennett MD, Stern H (1979) Cytological investigations of the effect of colchicine on meiosis in Lilium hybrid cv. Black Beauty microsporocytes. Chromosoma 72:157–173
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hotta, Y., Tabata, S. & Stern, H. Replication and nicking of zygotene DNA sequences. Chromosoma 90, 243–253 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287031
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287031