Defective Histone Transition during Spermiogenesis in Heterozygous SEGREGATION DISTORTER Males of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER.
Males of Drosophila melanogaster that are heterozygous for the segregation distorter (SD) chromosome produce a gross excess of SD-bearing offspring because most of the non-SD-bearing sperm are dysfunctional. These dysfunctional sperm exhibit abnormalities in chromatin condensation and compaction during spermiogenesis. Use of the fluorescent dye sulfoflavine, which is specific for basic proteins, has now revealed that the dysfunctional sperm are also defective in the normal transition from somatic to spermatid-specific histones.
Hauschteck-Jungen
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Zoologisches Institut, Universitat Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Hartl
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DL