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Developmental changes in DNAse I digestibility and RNA template activity of neuronal nuclei relative to the postnatal appearance of a short DNA repeat length

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Abstract

Neurons of the rat cerebral hemispheres are known to undergo a postnatal shift to a short DNA repeat length. In the present study we report that rat neuronal nuclei are more sensitive to digestion with DNAse I when isolated at a developmental stage after the shift in neuronal DNA repeat length compared to nuclei isolated before the shift. This observation may suggest that a decondensation of neuronal chromatin accompanies the postnatal shift in DNA repeat length. We have also found that neuronal nuclei isolated after the shift to a short DNA repeat length demonstrate an increased ability to synthesize RNA in vitro.

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Abbreviations

op:

base pairs

PCA:

perchloric acid

RSB:

reticulocyte standard buffer

TCA:

trichloroacetic acid

PMSF:

phenylmethylsulfonylfuoride

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  1. Department of Zoology, Scarborough College, University of Toronto, West Hill, M1C 1A4, Ontario, Canada

    Paul D. Greenwood & Ian R. Brown

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  1. Paul D. Greenwood
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  2. Ian R. Brown
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Greenwood, P.D., Brown, I.R. Developmental changes in DNAse I digestibility and RNA template activity of neuronal nuclei relative to the postnatal appearance of a short DNA repeat length. Neurochem Res 7, 965–976 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00965136

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00965136

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