scholarly journals A simple biophysical model emulates budding yeast chromosome condensation

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammy MK Cheng ◽  
Sebastian Heeger ◽  
Raphaël AG Chaleil ◽  
Nik Matthews ◽  
Aengus Stewart ◽  
...  

Mitotic chromosomes were one of the first cell biological structures to be described, yet their molecular architecture remains poorly understood. We have devised a simple biophysical model of a 300 kb-long nucleosome chain, the size of a budding yeast chromosome, constrained by interactions between binding sites of the chromosomal condensin complex, a key component of interphase and mitotic chromosomes. Comparisons of computational and experimental (4C) interaction maps, and other biophysical features, allow us to predict a mode of condensin action. Stochastic condensin-mediated pairwise interactions along the nucleosome chain generate native-like chromosome features and recapitulate chromosome compaction and individualization during mitotic condensation. Higher order interactions between condensin binding sites explain the data less well. Our results suggest that basic assumptions about chromatin behavior go a long way to explain chromosome architecture and are able to generate a molecular model of what the inside of a chromosome is likely to look like.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Sedat ◽  
Angus McDonald ◽  
Herbert G Kasler ◽  
Eric Verdin ◽  
Hu Cang ◽  
...  

A molecular architecture is proposed for an example mitotic chromosome, human Chromosome 10. This architecture is built on a previously described interphase chromosome structure based on Cryo-EM cellular tomography (1), thus unifying chromosome structure throughout the complete mitotic cycle. The basic organizational principle, for mitotic chromosomes, is specific coiling of the 11-nm nucleosome fiber into large scale approximately 200 nm structures (a Slinky (2, motif cited in 3) in interphase, and then further modification and subsequent additional coiling for the final structure. The final mitotic chromosome architecture accounts for the dimensional values as well as the well known cytological configurations. In addition, proof is experimentally provided, by digital PCR technology, that G1 T-cell nuclei are diploid, thus one DNA molecule per chromosome. Many nucleosome linker DNA sequences, the promotors and enhancers, are suggestive of optimal exposure on the surfaces of the large-scale coils.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammy MK Cheng ◽  
Sebastian Heeger ◽  
Raphaël AG Chaleil ◽  
Nik Matthews ◽  
Aengus Stewart ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Béatrice Satiat-Jeunemaitre ◽  
Chris Hawes

The comprehension of the molecular architecture of plant cell walls is one of the best examples in cell biology which illustrates how developments in microscopy have extended the frontiers of a topic. Indeed from the first electron microscope observation of cell walls it has become apparent that our understanding of wall structure has advanced hand in hand with improvements in the technology of specimen preparation for electron microscopy. Cell walls are sub-cellular compartments outside the peripheral plasma membrane, the construction of which depends on a complex cellular biosynthetic and secretory activity (1). They are composed of interwoven polymers, synthesised independently, which together perform a number of varied functions. Biochemical studies have provided us with much data on the varied molecular composition of plant cell walls. However, the detailed intermolecular relationships and the three dimensional arrangement of the polymers in situ remains a mystery. The difficulty in establishing a general molecular model for plant cell walls is also complicated by the vast diversity in wall composition among plant species.


1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Bing ◽  
D Robison ◽  
J Andrews ◽  
R Laura

We have determined that m-[o-(2-chloro-5-fluorosulfonylphenylureido)phenoxybutoxy]benza-midine [mCP(PBA)-F] is an affinity labeling reagent which labels both polypeptide chains of thrombin, factor Xa, complement component CIS and plasmin. As this means it is reacting outside of the catalytic center, we have called this reagent an exo-site affinity labeling reagent. Progressive irreversible inhibition of these enzymes by this reagent is rapid (k1st 2.5-4.6 x 10-3sec-1), the kinetics of inactivation are consistent with inhibition proceding via formation of a specific enzyme-inhibitor complex analogous to a Michaelis-Menton complex (KL - 115-26 μM), and diisopropylfluorophosphate or p-amidino-phenylmethanesulfonyfluoride Prevent labeling by [3H]mCP(PBA)-F. A molecular model of mCP(PBA)-F shows that the reactive SO2F group can be 17 A from the cationic amidine. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that both peptide chains are required for the specific proteolytic activity exhibited by these proteases and that the peptide chain which does not contain the active site serine is close to the catalytic center. (Supported by NIH and AHA grants


DNA Research ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Li ◽  
L. Wang ◽  
X. Wu ◽  
O. Fang ◽  
L. Wang ◽  
...  

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan MV West ◽  
Scott C Rosenberg ◽  
Sarah N Ur ◽  
Madison K Lehmer ◽  
Qiaozhen Ye ◽  
...  

The meiotic chromosome axis plays key roles in meiotic chromosome organization and recombination, yet the underlying protein components of this structure are highly diverged. Here, we show that ‘axis core proteins’ from budding yeast (Red1), mammals (SYCP2/SYCP3), and plants (ASY3/ASY4) are evolutionarily related and play equivalent roles in chromosome axis assembly. We first identify ‘closure motifs’ in each complex that recruit meiotic HORMADs, the master regulators of meiotic recombination. We next find that axis core proteins form homotetrameric (Red1) or heterotetrameric (SYCP2:SYCP3 and ASY3:ASY4) coiled-coil assemblies that further oligomerize into micron-length filaments. Thus, the meiotic chromosome axis core in fungi, mammals, and plants shares a common molecular architecture, and likely also plays conserved roles in meiotic chromosome axis assembly and recombination control.


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