title: Chromatin fibers organization within the nucleus.
abstract: In order to evaluate at the ultrastructural level the three dimensional arrangement of the dispersed chromatin during the intephase, the immunogold detection of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), of the DNA polymerase alpha and of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was performed on human HL60 leukemia cells and nuclear matrices extracted from the same cellular model. The Field Emission In lens Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis of the ultrathin cryosectioned cells revealed the presence of a chromatin three dimensional network where the different constituents appeared repetitively assembled. Also the nuclear matrix showed a repetitive structure, on which the deprivation of the DNA corresponded to the selective loss of particular class sized fibers. The single or multiple combined immunolocalization of different structures involved in the DNA replication, where BrdU, DNA polymerase alpha and PCNA represent, respectively, the substratum, the polymerizing enzyme and a regulator of the reaction, allowed the understanding of its reciprocal spatial relationship on the dispersed interphasic chromatin and the role of the nuclear matrix in the replicative process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Anatomy, University of Bologna, Italy. mazzotti@biocfarm.unibo.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzotti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falconi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taruscio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galanzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teti
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Manzoli
mesh_terms: D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004256:DNA Polymerase I / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D015530:Nuclear Matrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D004247:DNA; D004256:DNA Polymerase I; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine