Nuclear reconstitution of plant (Orychophragmus violaceus) demembranated sperm in cell-free extracts from animal (Xenopus laevis) eggs.
Cell-free extracts from animal Xenopus laevis egg could induce chromatin decondensation and pronuclear formation from demembranated plant (Orychophragmus violaceus) sperm. When incubated with Xenopus egg extracts, the demembranated sperm began to swell and then gradually decondensed. The assembly of the nuclear envelope in the reconstituted nuclei was visualized by means of electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Membrane vesicles fused to form the double envelope around the periphery of the decondensed chromatin. The morphology of the newly formed nuclei, with a double membrane, was similar to that of nuclei after fertilization. The electron micrograph of the whole-mount prepared nuclear matrix--lamina showed the reconstituted nucleus to be filled with a dense network.
Lu
P
P
Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. luping@pku.edu.cn
Ren
M
M
Zhai
Z H
ZH
D000818:Animals; D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000166:cytology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010063:Ovum / Q000166:cytology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000166:cytology*; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D002843:Chromatin