spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kearns, L. P.
Right arrow Articles by Sigee, D. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kearns, L. P.
Right arrow Articles by Sigee, D. C.

Journal of Cell Science, Vol 46, Issue 1 113-127, Copyright © 1980 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

The occurrence of period IV elements in dinoflagellate chromatin: an X-ray microanalytical study

LP Kearns and DC Sigee

X-ray microanalysis of unfixed frozen-dried cryosections, and of unfixed cryosections collected by a sucrose drop technique, revealed the presence of Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn (Period IV, Periodic Table) in association with the permanently condensed chromosomes of Prorocentrum micans. All of these metals, with the exception of Mn, routinely occurred in the chromatin of cells that had been fixed in glutaraldehyde, ethanol-dehydrated, and resin-embedded. Their detection at high levels in chemically dehydrated chromatin of Prorocentrum micans, and 3 other dinoflagellate species cultured in the laboratory, suggests they are important as bound (insoluble) components of the chromatin. Detailed analysis of the fixed, ethanol-dehydrated material showed that for these particular cultures, each species had its own characteristic mass fraction pattern of chromatin-bound elements which differed markedly from that of the other species. Calculation of relative numbers of atoms from the mass fraction showed that for each species about 40-50 atoms of bound Period IV elements were present per 100 atoms of phosphorus. This is approximately equivalent to one Period IV atom per 2 DNA nucleotides or per base pair. Although considerable variation exists between species in terms of individual element levels, the total number of atoms of Period IV elements relative to phosphorus is remarkably constant.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 JCBHome page
R. Strick, P. L. Strissel, K. Gavrilov, and R. Levi-Setti
Cation-chromatin binding as shown by ion microscopy is essential for the structural integrity of chromosomes
J. Cell Biol., December 10, 2001; 155(6): 899 - 910.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1980