Developmental changes in DNAse I digestibility and RNA template activity of neuronal nuclei relative to the postnatal appearance of a short DNA repeat length.
Neurons of the rat cerebral hemispheres are known to undergo a postnatal shift to a short DNA repeat length. In the present study we report that rat neuronal nuclei are more sensitive to digestion with DNAse I when isolated at a developmental stage after the shift in neuronal DNA repeated length compared to nuclei isolated before the shift. This observation may suggest that a decondensation of neuronal chromatin accompanies the postnatal shift in DNA repeat length. We have also found that neuronal nuclei isolated after the shift to a short DNA repeat length demonstrate an increased ability to synthesize RNA in vitro.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013698:Templates, Genetic
D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I