Journal
JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
Volume 134, Issue 1, Pages 76-81Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1006/jsbi.2001.4365
Keywords
cholesteric liquid crystal; cryoelectron microscopy; cryo-section; spermatozoid; vitrification
Ask authors/readers for more resources
In human and other mammal sperm nuclei, DNA is packed in a highly condensed state, the structure of which remains unsolved. Cryoelectron microscopy of vitrified sections provides a first direct view of the local arrangement of the nucleoprotamine filament. DNA aligns in parallel in layers and its orientation rotates along a single-twist direction as in a cholesteric liquid crystal. The structure contains numerous defects, which introduce locally double-twist configurations. Destruction of the SS bonds with dithiotrehitol relaxes the twist and favors the extension of the hexagonal close packing of the filaments, though keeping constant their interfilament distance. (C) 2001 Academic Press.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available