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Closed chromatin loops at the ends of chromosomes

Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003

Address correspondence to Christopher L. Woodcock, Biology Dept., University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. Tel.: (413) 545-2602. Fax: (413) 545-3243. email: chris{at}bio.umass.edu

The termini of eukaryotic chromosomes contain specialized protective structures, the telomeres, composed of TTAGGG repeats and associated proteins which, together with telomerase, control telomere length. Telomere shortening is associated with senescence and inappropriate telomerase activity may lead to cancer. Little is known about the chromatin context of telomeres, because, in most cells, telomere chromatin is tightly anchored within the nucleus. We now report the successful release of telomere chromatin from chicken erythrocyte and mouse lymphocyte nuclei, both of which have a reduced karyoskeleton. Electron microscopy reveals telomere chromatin fibers in the form of closed terminal loops, which correspond to the "t-loop" structures adopted by telomere DNA. The ability to recognize isolated telomeres in their native chromatin conformation opens the way for detailed structural and compositional studies.

Key Words: telomere; chromatin; electron microscopy; TRF1

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