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Looking at christmas trees in the nucleolus

  • Research Articles
  • Sites of Transcription and Processing
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Abstract

We describe novel nucleolar structures, observed by thin section electron microscopy in oocyte nuclei of the grashopperLocusta migratoria, which we interpret, based on morphological and compositional criteria, as rDNA transcription units. Morphologically they resemble the condensed and foreshortened “Christmas trees” seen in Miller spreads of nucleolar chromatin prepared from the same biological material. They contain DNA and rRNA as shown by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization and are concentrated in several intranucleolar cavities. The presumptive rDNA transcription units extend throughout the interior of these nucleolar pockets or are selectively enriched at their outermost zones in close contact with the surrounding fibrillarinpositive dense component. We suggest that the nucleolar pockets ofLocusta oocytes are equivalent to the fibrillar centers of somatic nucleoli and discuss possible implications for the current understanding of the functional organization of nucleoli.

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Author notes

  1. Bangying Xia

    Present address: Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Beijing, China

  2. Hilde Merkert

    Present address: Institute for Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, D-97070, Würzburg, Germany

  3. Dieter Weisenberger

    Present address: Organization of complex genomes, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Ulrich Scheer, Bangying Xia, Hilde Merkert & Dieter Weisenberger

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  1. Ulrich Scheer
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  2. Bangying Xia
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  3. Hilde Merkert
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  4. Dieter Weisenberger
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Correspondence to Ulrich Scheer.

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Edited by: S. A. Gerbi

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Scheer, U., Xia, B., Merkert, H. et al. Looking at christmas trees in the nucleolus. Chromosoma 105, 470–480 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02510484

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02510484

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