The nucleus inside out--through a rod darkly.
In the nuclei of eukaryotic cells, euchromatin is located at the center, whereas heterochromatin is found at the periphery and is interspersed in the nucleoplasm. Solovei et al. (2009) now reveal that this normal pattern is reversed in the retinal rod cells of mice. This inversion might serve to maximize light transmission to photoreceptors in nocturnal mammals.
Ragoczy
Tobias
T
Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
Groudine
Mark
M
D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D022041:Euchromatin / Q000737:chemistry; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014785:Vision, Ocular
D022041:Euchromatin; D006570:Heterochromatin