The Journal of Cell Biology, Vol 127, 287-302, Copyright © 1994 by The Rockefeller University Press

ARTICLES

Visualization of G1 chromosomes: a folded, twisted, supercoiled chromonema model of interphase chromatid structure

AS Belmont and K Bruce
Department of Cell and Structural Biology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana 61801.

We have used light microscopy and serial thin-section electron microscopy to visualize intermediates of chromosome decondensation during G1 progression in synchronized CHO cells. In early G1, tightly coiled 100-130-nm "chromonema" fibers are visualized within partially decondensed chromatin masses. Progression from early to middle G1 is accompanied by a progressive uncoiling and straightening of these chromonema fibers. Further decondensation in later G1 and early S phase results in predominantly 60-80-nm chromonema fibers that can be traced up to 2-3 microns in length as discrete fibers. Abrupt transitions in diameter from 100-130 to 60-80 nm along individual fibers are suggestive of coiling of the 60-80-nm chromonema fibers to form the thicker 100-130-nm chromonema fiber. Local unfolding of these chromonema fibers, corresponding to DNA regions tens to hundreds of kilobases in length, reveal more loosely folded and extended 30-nm chromatin fibers. Kinks and supercoils appear as prominent features at all observed levels of folding. These results are inconsistent with prevailing models of chromosome structure and, instead, suggest a folded chromonema model of chromosome structure.
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• McBryant, S. J., Klonoski, J., Sorensen, T. C., Norskog, S. S., Williams, S., Resch, M. G., Toombs, J. A. III, Hobdey, S. E., Hansen, J. C. (2009). Determinants of Histone H4 N-terminal Domain Function during Nucleosomal Array Oligomerization: ROLES OF AMINO ACID SEQUENCE, DOMAIN LENGTH, AND CHARGE DENSITY. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 16716-16722 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hu, Y., Kireev, I., Plutz, M., Ashourian, N., Belmont, A. S. (2009). Large-scale chromatin structure of inducible genes: transcription on a condensed, linear template. JCB 185: 87-100 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kan, P.-Y., Caterino, T. L., Hayes, J. J. (2009). The H4 Tail Domain Participates in Intra- and Internucleosome Interactions with Protein and DNA during Folding and Oligomerization of Nucleosome Arrays. Mol. Cell. Biol. 29: 538-546 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Marshall, O. J., Marshall, A. T., Choo, K.H. A. (2008). Three-dimensional localization of CENP-A suggests a complex higher order structure of centromeric chromatin. JCB 183: 1193-1202 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nag, R., Gong, F., Fahy, D., Smerdon, M. J. (2008). A single amino acid change in histone H4 enhances UV survival and DNA repair in yeast. Nucleic Acids Res 36: 3857-3866 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rego, A., Sinclair, P. B., Tao, W., Kireev, I., Belmont, A. S. (2008). The facultative heterochromatin of the inactive X chromosome has a distinctive condensed ultrastructure. J. Cell Sci. 121: 1119-1127 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wang, X., Hayes, J. J. (2008). Acetylation Mimics within Individual Core Histone Tail Domains Indicate Distinct Roles in Regulating the Stability of Higher-Order Chromatin Structure. Mol. Cell. Biol. 28: 227-236 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wang, X., Hayes, J. J. (2007). Site-specific Binding Affinities within the H2B Tail Domain Indicate Specific Effects of Lysine Acetylation. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 32867-32876 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lee, K., Kang, M. J., Kwon, S. J., Kwon, Y. K., Kim, K. W., Lim, J.-H., Kwon, H. (2007). Expansion of Chromosome Territories with Chromatin Decompaction in BAF53-depleted Interphase Cells. Mol. Biol. Cell 18: 4013-4023 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hizume, K., Araki, S., Yoshikawa, K., Takeyasu, K. (2007). Topoisomerase II, scaffold component, promotes chromatin compaction in vitro in a linker-histone H1-dependent manner. Nucleic Acids Res 0: gkm116v1-13 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yang, Z., Zheng, C., Hayes, J. J. (2007). The Core Histone Tail Domains Contribute to Sequence-dependent Nucleosome Positioning. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 7930-7938 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kan, P.-Y., Lu, X., Hansen, J. C., Hayes, J. J. (2007). The H3 Tail Domain Participates in Multiple Interactions during Folding and Self-Association of Nucleosome Arrays. Mol. Cell. Biol. 27: 2084-2091 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Shopland, L. S., Lynch, C. R., Peterson, K. A., Thornton, K., Kepper, N., Hase, J. v., Stein, S., Vincent, S., Molloy, K. R., Kreth, G., Cremer, C., Bult, C. J., O'Brien, T. P. (2006). Folding and organization of a contiguous chromosome region according to the gene distribution pattern in primary genomic sequence. JCB 174: 27-38 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gorisch, S. M., Wachsmuth, M., Toth, K. F., Lichter, P., Rippe, K. (2005). Histone acetylation increases chromatin accessibility. J. Cell Sci. 118: 5825-5834 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kepert, J. F., Mazurkiewicz, J., Heuvelman, G. L., Toth, K. F., Rippe, K. (2005). NAP1 Modulates Binding of Linker Histone H1 to Chromatin and Induces an Extended Chromatin Fiber Conformation. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 34063-34072 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zheng, C., Lu, X., Hansen, J. C., Hayes, J. J. (2005). Salt-dependent Intra- and Internucleosomal Interactions of the H3 Tail Domain in a Model Oligonucleosomal Array. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 33552-33557 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lowenstein, M. G., Goddard, T. D., Sedat, J. W. (2004). Long-Range Interphase Chromosome Organization in Drosophila: A Study Using Color Barcoded Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and Structural Clustering Analysis. Mol. Biol. Cell 15: 5678-5692 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Muller, W. G., Rieder, D., Kreth, G., Cremer, C., Trajanoski, Z., McNally, J. G. (2004). Generic Features of Tertiary Chromatin Structure as Detected in Natural Chromosomes. Mol. Cell. Biol. 24: 9359-9370 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kireeva, N., Lakonishok, M., Kireev, I., Hirano, T., Belmont, A. S. (2004). Visualization of early chromosome condensation: a hierarchical folding, axial glue model of chromosome structure. JCB 166: 775-785 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kleckner, N., Zickler, D., Jones, G. H., Dekker, J., Padmore, R., Henle, J., Hutchinson, J. (2004). A mechanical basis for chromosome function. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 12592-12597 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Peterson, C. L., Cote, J. (2004). Cellular machineries for chromosomal DNA repair. Genes Dev. 18: 602-616 [Full Text]  
• Shopland, L. S., Johnson, C. V., Byron, M., McNeil, J., Lawrence, J. B. (2003). Clustering of multiple specific genes and gene-rich R-bands around SC-35 domains: evidence for local euchromatic neighborhoods. JCB 162: 981-990 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Strukov, Y. G., Wang, Y., Belmont, A. S. (2003). Engineered chromosome regions with altered sequence composition demonstrate hierarchical large-scale folding within metaphase chromosomes. JCB 162: 23-35 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zheng, C., Hayes, J. J. (2003). Intra- and Inter-nucleosomal Protein-DNA Interactions of the Core Histone Tail Domains in a Model System. J. Biol. Chem. 278: 24217-24224 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Belmont, A. S. (2002). Mitotic chromosome scaffold structure: New approaches to an old controversy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 15855-15857 [Full Text]  
• Horn, P. J., Peterson, C. L. (2002). MOLECULAR BIOLOGY:Chromatin Higher Order Folding--Wrapping up Transcription. Science 297: 1824-1827 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nye, A. C., Rajendran, R. R., Stenoien, D. L., Mancini, M. A., Katzenellenbogen, B. S., Belmont, A. S. (2002). Alteration of Large-Scale Chromatin Structure by Estrogen Receptor. Mol. Cell. Biol. 22: 3437-3449 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Volpi, E., Chevret, E, Jones, T, Vatcheva, R, Williamson, J, Beck, S, Campbell, R., Goldsworthy, M, Powis, S., Ragoussis, J, Trowsdale, J, Sheer, D (2000). Large-scale chromatin organization of the major histocompatibility complex and other regions of human chromosome 6 and its response to interferon in interphase nuclei. J. Cell Sci. 113: 1565-1576 [Abstract]  
• Verschure, P. J., van der Kraan, I., Manders, E. M.M., van Driel, R. (1999). Spatial Relationship between Transcription Sites and Chromosome Territories. JCB 147: 13-24 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sadoni, N., Langer, S., Fauth, C., Bernardi, G., Cremer, T., Turner, B. M., Zink, D. (1999). Nuclear Organization of Mammalian Genomes: Polar Chromosome Territories Build up Functionally Distinct Higher Order Compartments. JCB 146: 1211-1226 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tumbar, T., Sudlow, G., Belmont, A. S. (1999). Large-Scale Chromatin Unfolding and Remodeling Induced by VP16 Acidic Activation Domain. JCB 145: 1341-1354 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Visser, A., Aten, J. (1999). Chromosomes as well as chromosomal subdomains constitute distinct units in interphase nuclei. J. Cell Sci. 112: 3353-3360 [Abstract]  
• Hendzel, M. J., Kruhlak, M. J., Bazett-Jones, D. P. (1998). Organization of Highly Acetylated Chromatin around Sites of Heterogeneous Nuclear RNA Accumulation. Mol. Biol. Cell 9: 2491-2507 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Li, G., Sudlow, G., Belmont, A. S. (1998). Interphase Cell Cycle Dynamics of a Late-Replicating, Heterochromatic Homogeneously Staining Region: Precise Choreography of Condensation/Decondensation and Nuclear Positioning. JCB 140: 975-989 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bermudez, A, Bartolome, S, Daban, J. (1998). Partial denaturation of small chromatin fragments: direct evidence for the radial distribution of nucleosomes in folded chromatin fibers. J. Cell Sci. 111: 1707-1715 [Abstract]  
• Lee, K.-M., Hayes, J. J. (1997). The N-terminal tail of histone H2A binds to two distinct sites within the nucleosome core. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 8959-8964 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents