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Perichromatin region: a moveable feast

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Abstract

The perichromatin region is an elusive zone of the cell nucleus located at the periphery of the condensed chromatin areas. This region is visible at the electron microscope level under special staining treatments, otherwise it is merged with the border of condensed chromatin. In this 200 nm-thick area, several fundamental cell processes take place, such as replication, DNA repair and transcription. In addition, RNA processing occurs in the perichromatin region, including 5′-capping and 3′-polyadenylation as well as splicing. Recently, it has become clear that also some epigenetics modifications take place there, such as methylation of DNA and RNA on cytosine and adenosine. In summary, this thin interface between chromatin and the interchromatinic space represents the zone where the majority of the functions of DNA in interphase occur, in a place where there is no steric hindrance of condensed chromatin, the products can easily move away toward their target and the enzymes can freely dock.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Reprinted from Trentani et al. Eur J Histochem 47:195–200, 2003, with permission. Bar = 30 nm, b Rat thymocyte, anti-5mC labelling. Most of the labelling occurs at the surface of chromatin, while the more distant few grains most probably label methylated RNA. c Hep-2 cell. After a short pulse of BrdU, beginning of replication is indicated by the labelling (green dots) present at the periphery of the chromatin. d Hep-2 cell. Labelling with an anti-DNA/RNA hybrid. The gold grains localized at the sites of transcription where the hybrids are present. Bar 200 nm

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR): Dipartimenti di Eccellenza Program (2018–2022)—Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia (to M.B.).

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  1. Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Irene Masiello, Stella Siciliani & Marco Biggiogera

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  1. Irene Masiello
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  2. Stella Siciliani
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  3. Marco Biggiogera
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Correspondence to Marco Biggiogera.

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Masiello, I., Siciliani, S. & Biggiogera, M. Perichromatin region: a moveable feast. Histochem Cell Biol 150, 227–233 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-018-1703-8

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