Sea urchin DNA methyltransferases

DNA methyltransferase activities have been partially purified from unfertilized eggs and blastula nuclei of sea urchin embryos. Comparative studies, using different DNAs as substrates, show that the two preparations are most active on hemimethylated and single-strand DNA, but they methylate, though at a lower rate, also on double-strand DNA. The two activities show distinctive efficiencies in methylating plasmid DNAs and marked differences in the rate of methyl transfer to DNAs in different structural states: linear, relaxed, or supercoiled. The ratio of the apparent specific activity of the two preparations depends on the particular DNA used as substrate and its structure. Methylation analysis of the restriction fragments of methylated plasmid DNAs shows a linear correlation between introduced methyl groups and the percent of CpG of each particular fragment, indicating that methylation is substantially random and sequence is less relevant than conformation in determining enzyme efficiency. The data do not permit us to decide if the two activities are different enzymes or the same enzyme with different modulating factors.

Structuring of H1 histone. Evidence of high-affinity binding sites for phosphate ions

Circular dichroism studies show that low concentrations of phosphate ions induce folding of the H1 histones. Sulfate and perchlorate anions have effects similar to phosphate indicating the presence on H1 histones of binding sites with high affinity for ions with tetrahedral geometry. In fact, the structuring efficiency of different ions, as determined by the midpoint value of the effect/concentration curve, is 0.05 M for NaCl, 0.005 M for NaClO4, 0.001 M for sodium phosphate and 0.0003 M for sodium sulfate on H1 histone from Chaetopterus variopedatus sperm chromatin. Phosphate shows similar folding efficiency also on calf thymus and on sea-urchin sperm H1 histones. The effect of phosphate ions on the H1 molecule is observed also by differential absorption spectroscopy in the region of absorption of amino acid side-chains. Binding studies by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex columns show that phosphate binding occurs in the presence of structuring concentrations of sodium chloride. About 9 ATP molecules bind to H1 histones derived from non-active cell chromatins while only 3.5 ATP molecules bind to H1 derived from active somatic chromatins. The fluorescence of the tyrosine residues of Chaetopterus sperm H1 is enhanced by chloride ions and heavily quenched by phosphate ions in correlation with structuring of the molecule, demonstrating direct interactions between tyrosine residues and phosphate ions. The defined and limited number of phosphate groups bound per histone molecule, the high affinity of the interaction and the effect on the structure of the histone suggest the participation of phosphate groups in the binding of H1 histones to DNA.

Synthesis of globin chains in the erythropoietic sites of the early chick embryo

The synthesis of globins in the chick embryo before the onset of circulation has been studied in situ by specific immunofluorescence labelling of embryonic sections and by labelling newly synthesized proteins in ovo and in vitro in embryonic explants with [3H]leucine.

The presence of major primitive haemoglobins is observed by 28 h of incubation. The minor primitive haemoglobins become detectable by immunofluorescence after 40 h of development, shortly before the onset of circulation. 3H-labelling shows that one definitive α chain is synthesized, though in low concentration, from the initial globin detection. The other definitive α chain is observed in embryos of at least 40 h of development. The relative concentration of the two definitive α chains changes rapidly with development indicating a specific mechanism of regulation.

An erythropoietic site is observed in the wall of the dorsal aorta in embryos of about 45–50 h of development. From the initial detection, those cells contain all four primitive embryonic haemoglobins, in contrast to what is observed for the cells of the blood islands.

Synthesis of globin chains in the erythropoietic sites of the early chick embryo

The synthesis of globins in the chick embryo before the onset of circulation has been studied in situ by specific immunofluorescence labelling of embryonic sections and by labelling newly synthesized proteins in ovo and in vitro in embryonic explants with [3H]leucine. The presence of major primitive haemoglobins is observed by 28 h of incubation. The minor primitive haemoglobins become detectable by immunofluorescence after 40 h of development, shortly before the onset of circulation. 3H-labelling shows that one definitive alpha chain is synthesized, though in low concentration, from the initial globin detection. The other definitive alpha chain is observed in embryos of at least 40 h of development. The relative concentration of the two definitive alpha chains changes rapidly with development indicating a specific mechanism of regulation. An erythropoietic site is observed in the wall of the dorsal aorta in embryos of about 45-50 h of development. From the initial detection, those cells contain all four primitive embryonic haemoglobins, in contrast to what is observed for the cells of the blood islands.