Chromatin organization in rat testis nuclei. Flow cytometric detection of the morphological compaction

Mouse testis cell sorting according to DNA and mitochondrial changes during spermatogenesis

Flow cytometry can measure variations in DNA content and chromatin structure as well as dramatic changes in the mitochondria of germ cells during maturation from spermatogonia to elongated spermatids. Using 10-N nonyl acridine orange (NAO), an inner mitochondrial membrane dye, it is easy to follow mitochondria rearrangements. Mouse testis cells stained with the DNA fluorescent probe propidium iodide (PI) and analyzed by flow cytometry can be discriminated on the basis of their ploidy levels into five main regions corresponding to elongated spermatids, round spermatids, diploid, S-phase, and tetraploid cells. The simultaneous use of PI and NAO demonstrated the presence of cells having low and high mitochondrial content in the haploid, diploid, and tetraploid compartments. Eleven sorting windows were selected from the bivariate analysis (PI/NAO) and the corresponding cells were identified by microscopic observation. Cells were also discriminated by two parameter analysis of DNA content vs. cell diameter. The definition of seven different regions allowed us to determine NAO or rhodamine 123 (Rh 123) uptakes in each compartment. We observed that the ratio (Rh 123/NAO) dramatically changed according to the progression of cell differentiation which occurs during spermatogenesis.

Equilibrium binding of DAPI and 7-aminoactinomycin D to chromatin of cultured cells

The binding of 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAMD) to chromatin of intact cultured fibroblast nuclei was studied by cytofluorometry. Staining was performed at equilibrium at varying dye concentrations. By using large volumes of dye solutions, the free dye concentration became approximately equal to total dye concentration, and the estimation of affinity and number of binding sites was performed by Scatchard analysis. Since all Scatchard plots showed a definite curvature, indicating more than one class of binding sites, a two component regression was performed, although only the highest affinity binding sites were determined. The observed affinity constants did not change substantially between different preparational procedures for any of the dyes. The number of DAPI binding sites increased about 30% after detergent extraction. No such increase was observed for 7-AAMD. Fixation in formaldehyde, instead of ethanol, after detergent extraction had no effect on DAPI binding, but decreased the number of 7-AAMD binding sites with about 50%. Extraction of basic proteins with HCl resulted in about 100% increase of the number of binding sites for both dyes. It should be feasible to use this technique as an assay for the identification of proteins or other nuclear components important for the maintenance of chromatin structure.

Change in chromatin organization related to in vivo transcriptional activity and histone synthesis independent of DNA replication during differentiation (germination) of Physarum spherules

During the germination of Physarum spherules, increases have been observed, at the same moment, in the level of in vivo transcriptional activity as measured by [³H] uridine incorporation, and the accessibility of DNA for ethidium bromide staining as shown by flow cytometric measurements. We suppose that the changes observed in these two processes are due to a difference in chromatin organization between the first and the second period of the premitotic germination stage. In the second period, the four nucleosome core histories are synthesized in the absence of DNA replication and may correspond to a replacement of spherulation histone variants by plasmodial histone types in nucleosomes. The synthesis of historic H₄ clearly distinguishes the second period of the premitotic germination stage from a growing plasmodium G₂ phase, though nuclei exhibit a G₂ phase DNA content. The same pattern of histone synthesis has been found during the cell cycle following the first mitosis after germination and the growing plasmodium cell cycle, with a synthesis of two histories H₂B and H₂A and the high mobility group (HMG)-like protein AS₃ during the G₂ phase, i.e. in the absence of DNA synthesis.