Biomaterial Database

Chromatin assembly in Xenopus oocytes: in vivo studies. 1984

M Ryoji, and A Worcel

We have followed the time course of chromatin assembly, DNA supercoiling, and transcription on a Xenopus 5S RNA gene clone injected into germinal vesicles of Xenopus oocytes. During the first 2 hr after DNA injection, there is a gradual enhancement in transcription that correlates with the increase in superhelical density of the DNA template; on the other hand, nucleosome assembly is already completed by 10-30 min after DNA injection. To probe further the DNA structure in the assembled minichromosomes, we injected enzymes and chemicals into the germinal vesicle. DNAase I and topoisomerase I injections reveal that the circular DNA has been assembled into two discrete and equally abundant types of chromatin: one type, which we call "dynamic" chromatin, is torsionally strained and is thus fully relaxed by those two enzymes. The other type, which we call "static" chromatin, still yields supercoiled DNA molecules after deproteinization. The dynamic chromatin is also relaxed by injection of novobiocin, and simultaneously, 5S RNA transcription is turned off. The results of our in vivo experiments suggest that the dynamic chromatin is the one that is transcriptionally active. We discuss the biological relevance of these findings.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008836	Micrococcal Nuclease	An enzyme that catalyzes the endonucleolytic cleavage to 3'-phosphomononucleotide and 3'-phospholigonucleotide end-products. It can cause hydrolysis of double- or single-stranded DNA or RNA. (From Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992) EC 3.1.31.1.	Staphylococcal Nuclease,TNase,Thermonuclease,Thermostable Nuclease,Nuclease, Micrococcal,Nuclease, Staphylococcal,Nuclease, Thermostable
D009865	Oocytes	Female germ cells derived from OOGONIA and termed OOCYTES when they enter MEIOSIS. The primary oocytes begin meiosis but are arrested at the diplotene state until OVULATION at PUBERTY to give rise to haploid secondary oocytes or ova (OVUM).	Ovocytes,Oocyte,Ovocyte
D010957	Plasmids	Extrachromosomal, usually CIRCULAR DNA molecules that are self-replicating and transferable from one organism to another. They are found in a variety of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, algal, and plant species. They are used in GENETIC ENGINEERING as CLONING VECTORS.	Episomes,Episome,Plasmid
D002843	Chromatin	The material of CHROMOSOMES. It is a complex of DNA; HISTONES; and nonhistone proteins (CHROMOSOMAL PROTEINS, NON-HISTONE) found within the nucleus of a cell.	Chromatins
D003001	Cloning, Molecular	The insertion of recombinant DNA molecules from prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic sources into a replicating vehicle, such as a plasmid or virus vector, and the introduction of the resultant hybrid molecules into recipient cells without altering the viability of those cells.	Molecular Cloning
D003850	Deoxyribonuclease I	An enzyme capable of hydrolyzing highly polymerized DNA by splitting phosphodiester linkages, preferentially adjacent to a pyrimidine nucleotide. This catalyzes endonucleolytic cleavage of DNA yielding 5'-phosphodi- and oligonucleotide end-products. The enzyme has a preference for double-stranded DNA.	DNase I,Streptodornase,DNA Endonuclease,DNA Nicking Enzyme,DNAase I,Dornavac,Endonuclease I,Nickase,Pancreatic DNase,T4-Endonuclease II,T7-Endonuclease I,Thymonuclease,DNase, Pancreatic,Endonuclease, DNA,T4 Endonuclease II,T7 Endonuclease I
D004264	DNA Topoisomerases, Type I	DNA TOPOISOMERASES that catalyze ATP-independent breakage of one of the two strands of DNA, passage of the unbroken strand through the break, and rejoining of the broken strand. DNA Topoisomerases, Type I enzymes reduce the topological stress in the DNA structure by relaxing the superhelical turns and knotted rings in the DNA helix.	DNA Nicking-Closing Protein,DNA Relaxing Enzyme,DNA Relaxing Protein,DNA Topoisomerase,DNA Topoisomerase I,DNA Topoisomerase III,DNA Topoisomerase III alpha,DNA Topoisomerase III beta,DNA Untwisting Enzyme,DNA Untwisting Protein,TOP3 Topoisomerase,TOP3alpha,TOPO IIIalpha,Topo III,Topoisomerase III,Topoisomerase III beta,Topoisomerase IIIalpha,Topoisomerase IIIbeta,DNA Nicking-Closing Proteins,DNA Relaxing Enzymes,DNA Type 1 Topoisomerase,DNA Untwisting Enzymes,DNA Untwisting Proteins,Topoisomerase I,Type I DNA Topoisomerase,III beta, Topoisomerase,III, DNA Topoisomerase,III, Topo,III, Topoisomerase,IIIalpha, TOPO,IIIalpha, Topoisomerase,IIIbeta, Topoisomerase,Topoisomerase III, DNA,Topoisomerase, TOP3,beta, Topoisomerase III
D004278	DNA, Superhelical	Circular duplex DNA isolated from viruses, bacteria and mitochondria in supercoiled or supertwisted form. This superhelical DNA is endowed with free energy. During transcription, the magnitude of RNA initiation is proportional to the DNA superhelicity.	DNA, Supercoiled,DNA, Supertwisted,Supercoiled DNA,Superhelical DNA,Supertwisted DNA
D004706	Endodeoxyribonucleases	A group of enzymes catalyzing the endonucleolytic cleavage of DNA. They include members of EC 3.1.21.-, EC 3.1.22.-, EC 3.1.23.- (DNA RESTRICTION ENZYMES), EC 3.1.24.- (DNA RESTRICTION ENZYMES), and EC 3.1.25.-.