Localisation of histone macroH2A1.2 to the XY-body is not a response to the presence of asynapsed chromosome axes.
Histone macroH2A1.2 and the murine heterochromatin protein 1, HP1 beta, have both been implicated in meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI) and the formation of the XY-body in male meiosis. In order to get a closer insight into the function of histone macroH2A1.2 we have investigated the localisation of macroH2A1.2 in surface spread spermatocytes from normal male mice and in oocytes of XX and XYTdym1 mice. Oocytes of XYTdym1 mice have no XY-body or MSCI despite having an XY chromosome constitution, so the presence or absence of 'XY-body' proteins in association with the X and/or Y chromosome of these oocytes enables some discrimination between potential functions of XY-body located proteins. We demonstrate here that macroH2A1.2 localises to the X and Y chromatin of spermatocytes as they condense to form the XY-body but is not associated with the X and Y chromatin of XYTdym1 early pachytene oocytes. MacroH2A1.2 and HP1 beta co-localise to autosomal pericentromeric heterochromatin in spermatocytes. However, the two proteins show temporally and spatially distinct patterns of association to X and Y chromatin.
Hoyer-Fender
Sigrid
S
III. Department of Zoology-Developmental Biology, University of Göttingen, Humboldtallee 34A, 37073 Göttingen, Germany. shoyer@gwdg.de
Czirr
Eva
E
Radde
Rebecca
R
Turner
James M A
JM
Mahadevaiah
Shantha K
SK
Pehrson
John R
JR
Burgoyne
Paul S
PS
D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D023902:Chromosome Pairing / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012728:Sex Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012730:Sex Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics
D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D006657:Histones; C120756:macroH2A histone; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5