Involvement of a nucleolar component, perichromonucleolin, in the condensation and decondensation of chromosomes

The chromosome peripheral proteins play an active role in chromosome dynamics

The chromosome periphery is a chromosomal structure that covers the surface of mitotic chromosomes. The structure and function of the chromosome periphery has been poorly understood since its first description in 1882. It has, however, been proposed to be an insulator or barrier to protect chromosomes from subcellular substances and to act as a carrier of nuclear and nucleolar components to direct their equal distribution to daughter cells because most chromosome peripheral proteins (CPPs) are derived from the nucleolus or nucleus. Until now, more than 30 CPPs were identified in mammalians. Recent immunostaining analyses of CPPs have revealed that the chromosome periphery covers the centromeric region of mitotic chromosomes in addition to telomeres and regions between two sister chromatids. Knockdown analyses of CPPs using RNAi have revealed functions in chromosome dynamics, including cohesion of sister chromatids, kinetochore-microtubule attachments, spindle assembly and chromosome segregation. Because most CPPs are involved in various subcellular events in the nucleolus or nuclear at interphase, a temporal and spatial-specific knockdown method of CPPs in the chromosome periphery will be useful to understand the function of chromosome periphery in cell division.

The perichromosomal layer

In addition to genetic information, mitotic chromosomes transmit essential components for nuclear assembly and function in a new cell cycle. A specialized chromosome domain, called the perichromosomal layer, perichromosomal sheath, chromosomal coat, or chromosome surface domain, contains proteins required for a variety of cellular processes, including the synthesis of messenger RNA, assembly of ribosomes, repair of DNA double-strand breaks, telomere maintenance, and apoptosis regulation. The layer also contains many proteins of unknown function and is a major target in autoimmune disease. Perichromosomal proteins are found along the entire length of chromosomes, excluding centromeres, where sister chromatids are paired and spindle microtubules attach. Targeting of proteins to the perichromosomal layer occurs primarily during prophase, and they generally remain associated until telophase. During interphase, perichromosomal proteins localize to nucleoli, the nuclear envelope, nucleoplasm, heterochromatin, centromeres, telomeres, and/or the cytoplasm. It has been suggested that the perichromosomal layer may contribute to chromosome structure, as several of the associated proteins have functions in chromatin remodeling during interphase. We review the identified proteins associated with this chromosome domain and briefly discuss their known functions during interphase and mitosis.

Identification of a novel plant MAR DNA binding protein localized on chromosomal surfaces

We identified a novel nucleoplasm localized protein in Arabidopsis called AT-hook motif nuclear localized protein 1 (AHL1), which was isolated by visual screening of transformants using random GFP::cDNA fusions. AHL1 contains an AT-hook motif and unknown conserved PPC (plants and prokaryotes conserved) domain that includes a hydrophobic region. Approximately 30 paralogues were identified in the Arabidopsis genome. Proteins with PPC-like domains are found in Bacteria, Archaea and the plant kingdom, but in Bacteria and Archaea the PPC containing proteins of do not have an AT-hook motif. Thus, the PPC domain is evolutionary conserved and has a new function such as AT-rich DNA binding. AHL1 was mainly localized in the nucleoplasm, but little in the nucleolus and heterochromatic region, and was concentrated in the boundary region between euchromatin and heterochromatin. Biochemically, AHL1 was also found in the nuclear matrix fraction. In the M phase, AHL1 was localized on the chromosomal surface. The AT-hook motif was essential for matrix attachment region (MAR) binding, and the hydrophobic region of the PPC was indispensable for nuclear localization. Our results suggest that AHL1 is a novel plant MAR binding protein, which is related to the positioning of chromatin fibers in the nucleus by the presence of an AT-hook motif and PPC domain. In addition, AHL1 is located on the surface of chromosomes during mitosis.

Cell and Molecular Biology of Nucleolar Assembly and Disassembly

Nucleoli disassemble in prophase of the metazoan mitotic cycle, and they begin their reassembly (nucleologenesis) in late anaphase?early telophase. Nucleolar disassembly and reassembly were obvious to the early cytologists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and although this has lead to a plethora of literature describing these events, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating nucleolar assembly and disassembly has expanded immensely just within the last 10-15 years. We briefly survey the findings of nineteenth-century cytologists on nucleolar assembly and disassembly, followed by the work of Heitz and McClintock on nucleolar organizers. A primer review of nucleolar structure and functions precedes detailed descriptions of modern molecular and microscopic studies of nucleolar assembly and disassembly. Nucleologenesis is concurrent with the reinitiation of rDNA transcription in telophase. The perichromosomal sheath, prenucleolar bodies, and nucleolar-derived foci serve as repositories for nucleolar processing components used in the previous interphase. Disassembly of the perichromosomal sheath along with the dynamic movements and compositional changes of the prenucleolar bodies and nucleolus-derived foci coincide with reactivation of rDNA synthesis within the chromosomal nucleolar organizers during telophase. Nucleologenesis is considered in various model organisms to provide breadth to our understanding. Nucleolar disassembly occurs at the onset of mitosis primarily as a result of the mitosis-specific phosphorylation of Pol I transcription factors and processing components. Although we have learned much regarding nucleolar assembly and disassembly, many questions still remain, and these questions are as vibrant for us today as early questions were for nineteenth- and early twentieth-century cytologists.

Chromatin preferences of the perichromosomal layer constituent pKi-67

The proliferation-associated nuclear protein pKi-67 relocates from the nucleolus to the chromosome surface during the G2/M transition of the cell cycle and contributes to the formation of the 'perichromosomal layer'. We investigated the in-vivo binding preferences of pKi-67 for various chromatin blocks of the mitotic chromosomes from the human and two mouse species, Mus musculus and M. caroli. All chromosomes were decorated with pKi-67 but displayed a gap of pKi-67 decoration in the centromere and NOR regions. pKi-67 distribution in a rearranged mouse chromosome showed that the formation of the centromeric gap was controlled by the specific chromatin in that region. While most chromatin served as a substrate for direct or indirect binding of pKi-67, we identified three types of chromatin that bound less or no pKi-67. These were: (1) the centromeric heterochromatin defined by the alpha satellite DNA in the human, by the mouse minor satellite in M. musculus and the 60- and 79-bp satellites in M. caroli; (2) the pericentromeric heterochromatin in M. musculus defined by the mouse major satellite, and (3) NORs in the human and in M. musculus defined by rDNA repeats. In contrast, the conspicuous blocks of pericentromeric heterochromatin in human chromosomes 1, 9 and 16 containing the 5-bp satellite showed intense pKi-67 decoration. The centromeric gap may have a biological significance for the proper attachment of the chromosomes to the mitotic spindle. In this context, our results suggest a new role for centromeric heterochromatin: the control of the centromeric gap in the perichromosomal layer.

Isolation and characterization of a new nucleolar protein, Nrap, that is conserved from yeast to humans

BACKGROUND

The nucleolus is the site of rRNA synthesis and processing in eukaryotic cells, but its composition remains poorly understood.

RESULTS

We have identified a novel nucleolar RNA-associated protein (Nrap) which is highly conserved from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to human, with homologues in mouse, Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, Arabidopsis thaliana, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and other species. In the mouse, we have found that Nrap is ubiquitously expressed and is specifically localized in the nucleolus. We have also identified splice variants in human and mouse, and defined the intron-exon structure of the human Nrap gene. Nrap is inherited into daughter nuclei by associating with the condensed chromosomes during mitosis. RNase treatment of permeabilized cells indicated that the nucleolar localization of Nrap is RNA dependent. The effects of actinomycin D, cycloheximide and 5,6-dichloro-beta-d-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole on Nrap expression and distribution in cultured cells suggest that Nrap is associated with the pre-rRNA transcript.

CONCLUSIONS

Nrap is a large nucleolar protein (of more than 1000 amino acids), and is a new class of protein with new structural and functional motifs. Nrap appears to be associated with ribosome biogenesis by interacting with pre-rRNA primary transcript.

Biochemical characterization of pKi67 with the identification of a mitotic-specific form associated with hyperphosphorylation and altered DNA binding

Although widely used as an operational marker of proliferation, the cell cycle-regulated Ki67 protein is of unknown function. pKi67 is found predominantly in the nucleolus in cycling interphase cells and moves to become perichromosomal during mitosis. We have performed a detailed immunochemical analysis of pKi67 in HeLa cells and report the existence of a novel hyperphosphorylated form in mitosis. Two isoforms can be identified on immunoblots as a consequence of the previously described alternative splicing. In extracts from mitotic cells both these isoforms have considerably reduced mobility. Treatment with phosphatase converts the mitotic form to the interphase form. Immunoprecipitated pKi67 can be phosphorylated in vitro both by cdc2/cyclin B and by protein kinase C, and treatment by PKC leads to the full mobility shift. Treatment of nocodazole-arrested mitotic HeLa cells with staurosporine causes a dephosphorylation of pKi67 to the interphase state and a concomitant change in the localization of pKi67 with movement away from the perichromosomal layer to cytoplasmic dots that colocalize with nucleolin. These data indicate that pKi67 localization is regulated by the action of cell cycle-specific kinase(s) and phosphatase(s). The data presented here provide a starting point for the analysis of pKi67 function and regulation.

Effects of anti-PM-Scl 100 (Rrp6p exonuclease) antibodies on prenucleolar body dynamics at the end of mitosis

Prenucleolar bodies (PNBs) are transitory structures which serve as building blocks for nucleoli at the transition mitosis/interphase. The assembly of PNBs and their pathway are not clearly understood. To better understand these events, the behavior of the PNB-containing PM-Scl 100 protein was compared with that of other PNB proteins. This nucleolar protein was chosen because its yeast homologue, Rrp6p exonuclease [1], is known to participate in late events in 5.8 S rRNA (ribosomal RNA) processing. There was a heterogeneous distribution of nucleolar proteins in different classes of PNBs. The PM-Scl 100 colocalized predominantly with protein B23. The PM-Scl-100-containing PNBs were translocated at later times to nucleoli as opposed to the fibrillarin-containing PNBs. Microinjections of antibodies directed against PM-Scl 100 during mitosis inhibited targeting of PM-Scl 100 to the nucleolus. However fibrillarin and protein B23 still participated in nucleolar assembly in early G1. We conclude that there are different kinds of PNBs whose translocation to the nucleoli follow ordered kinetics. Interestingly, proteins involved in late steps of processing as PM-Scl 100 are translocated late, suggesting that they are not cotranscriptionally associated with the rRNA precursors.

Characterization of a novel nucleolar protein that transiently associates with the condensed chromosomes in mitotic cells

We report the isolation and characterization of a murine gene encoding a conserved mammalian nucleolar protein. The protein, called Tsg118, has a predicted molecular mass of 59.4 kDa and a high content of basic amino acids. A homologous human gene was localized to chromosome 16p12.3. The Tsg118 protein is predominantly expressed in proliferating somatic cells and in male germ cells. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy analysis using an affinity-purified anti-Tsg118 serum shows colocalization of Tsg118 and a known nucleolar protein, fibrillarin, to the dense fibrillar component of the nucleolus. The nucleolar localization of the Tsg118 protein appears to be temporally restricted to the interphase stages of the somatic cell cycle and to the meiotic phase of spermatogenesis. We find that the Tsg118 protein localizes to the nucleolus in both proliferating and serum-starved cells. Interestingly, as the nucleolar signal disappears in mitotic cells, the Tsg118 protein instead becomes associated with the surface of the condensed chromosomes.

The eleven stages of the cell cycle, with emphasis on the changes in chromosomes and nucleoli during interphase and mitosis

Since we had subdivided the cell cycle into 11 stages--four for mitosis and seven for the interphase--and since we had experience in detecting DNA in the electron microscope (EN) by the osmium-amine procedure of Cogliati and Gauthier (Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci., 1973;276:3041-3044), we combined the two approaches for the analysis of DNA-containing structures at all stages of the cell cycle. Thin Epon sections of formaldehyde-fixed mouse duodenum were stained by osmium-amine for electron microscopic examination of the stages in the 12.3-hr long cell cycle of mouse duodenal crypt columnar cells. In addition, semi-thin Lowicryl sections of mouse duodenal crypts and cultured rat kidney cells were stained with the DNA-specific Hoechst 33258 dye and examined in the fluorescence microscope. The DNA detected by osmium-amine is in the form of nucleofilaments, seen at high magnification as long rows of 11 nm-wide rings (consisting of stained DNA encircling unstained histones). At all stages of the cycle as well as in nondividing cells, nucleofilaments are of three types: 'free,' 'attached' to chromatin accumulations, and 'compacted' in all chromatin accumulations, the form of dense spirals within. At stage I of the cycle, besides free and attached nucleofilaments, compacted ones are observed in the three heterochromatin forms (peripheral, nucleolus-associated, clumped). Soon after the S phase begins, chromatin 'aggregates' appear, which are small at stage II, mid-sized at stage III, and large at stage IV. Chromatin 'bulges' also appear at stage III and enlarge at stage IV, while heterochromatins disappear. At stage V, aggregates and bulges accrete into 'chromomeres,' a process responsible for the apparent chromosome condensation observed at prophase. The chromomeres gradually line up in rows and, at stage VIa (prometaphase), approach one another within each row and coalesce to build up the metaphase chromosomes which are fully formed at stage VIb (metaphase). Daughter chromosomes arising at stage VII (anaphase) are eventually packed into a chromosomal mass at each pole of the cell. During stage VIII (telophase), the chromosomal mass is split into large chunks. In the course of the G1 phase, the chunks thin out to give rise to irregular 'bands' at stage IX, the bands are then cleaved into central and peripheral fragments at stage X, and finally the central fragments are replaced by free nucleofilaments and clumps at stage XI, while the peripheral fragments are replaced by peripheral heterochromatin. The "nucleoli" at stages I-III are associated with stained heterochromatin but otherwise appear as unstained lucent areas, except for weakly stained patches composed of histone-free DNA filaments. During stage IV, nucleoli lose patches and associated heterochromatin, while weakly lucent, pale vesicles appear within nucleoli and in the nucleoplasm. By the end of substage VIa, nucleoli generally disappear, while pale vesicles persist around the chromosomes appearing at substage VIb. At stages VIII and IX, the vesicles seem to become strongly lucent and, at stages IX and X, they associate and fuse to yield homogeneous lucent areas, the 'prenucleolar bodies,' which include histone-free DNA patches. During stage XI, groups of these bodies associate to give rise to nucleoli. In conclusion, the cell cycle DNA changes can be classified into 4 broad periods (Fig. 6): 1) Stage I is a 2-hr long interphase "pause," during which the stained DNA shows no signs of either chromosome condensation or decondensation, while the overall nuclear pattern is similar to that in nondividing cell nuclei. Nucleoli are fully developed. 2) From stage II to VIa, the "chromosome condensation" period extends over about 7 hr, during which the events are interpreted as follows. Throughout the S phase (stages II-IV), newly-synthesized segments of nucleofilaments approach one another, adhere and thus build aggregates and later bulges on nuclear matrix sites. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Molecular cloning and characterization of meichroacidin (male meiotic metaphase chromosome-associated acidic protein)

We have isolated a cDNA clone encoding a germ cell specific protein from an expression cDNA library prepared from the mouse testis, using testis-specific polyclonal antibodies. Sequence analysis of the cDNA revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence consisted of 284 residues, including a nominal repeat structure in the N-terminal region. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of a transcript of 1.3 kb exclusively expressed in the testis and ovary, but at relatively low levels in the ovary. In contrast, no other tissues and organs expressed significant levels of the transcript. Expression of the mRNA in the testis was first detected on day 14 in postnatal development. Western blot analysis showed the presence of the protein with a molecular weight of approximately 40 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.9. The protein was exclusively found in the testis and ovary, but in a far lesser amount in the ovary as was the case with the transcript. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the protein was predominantly present in the cytoplasm in pachytene spermatocytes through to round spermatids. However, during the disappearance of the nuclear envelope at both the first and second meiotic divisions, the protein was localized around the metaphase chromosomes and spindles. Because of this, the name meichroacidin which stands for male meiotic metaphase chromosome-associated acidic protein is proposed for this antigen. The highly regulated stage-specific expression of meichroacidin and its specific association with the metaphase chromosomes and spindles suggest that the protein plays important roles in male meiosis.

A class of nonribosomal nucleolar components is located in chromosome periphery and in nucleolus-derived foci during anaphase and telophase

. The subcellular location of several nonribosomal nucleolar proteins was examined at various stages of mitosis in synchronized mammalian cell lines including HeLa, 3T3, COS-7 and HIV-1 Rev-expressing CMT3 cells. Nucleolar proteins B23, fibrillarin, nucleolin and p52 as well as U3 snoRNA were located partially in the peripheral regions of chromosomes from prometaphase to early telophase. However, these proteins were also found in large cytoplasmic particles, 1-2 microm in diameter, termed nucleolus-derived foci (NDF). The NDF reached maximum numbers (as many as 100 per cell) during mid- to late anaphase, after which their number declined to a few or none during late telophase. The decline in the number of NDF approximately coincided with the appearance of prenucleolar bodies and reforming nucleoli. The HIV-1 Rev protein and a mutant Rev protein defective in its nuclear export signal were also found in the NDF. The mutant Rev protein precisely followed the pattern of localization of the above nucleolar proteins, whereas the wild-type Rev did not enter nuclei until G1 phase. The nucleolar shuttling phosphoprotein Nopp140 did not follow the above pattern of localization during mitosis: it dispersed in the cytoplasm from prometaphase through early telophase and was not found in the NDF. Although the NDF and mitotic coiled bodies disappeared from the cytoplasm at approximately the same time during mitosis, protein B23 was not found in mitotic coiled bodies, nor was p80 coilin present in the NDF. These results suggest that a class of proteins involved in preribosomal RNA processing associate with chromosome periphery and with NDF as part of a system to conserve and deliver preexisting components to reforming nucleoli during mitosis.

Nuclear components with microtubule-organizing properties in multicellular eukaryotes: functional and evolutionary considerations

The nucleus and the microtubular cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells appear to be structurally and functionally interrelated. Together they constitute a "cell body". One of the most important components of this body is a primary microtubule-organizing center (MTOC-I) located on or near the nuclear surface and composed of material that, in addition to constitutive centrosomal material, also comprises some nuclear matrix components. The MTOC-I shares a continuity with the mitotic spindle and, in animal cells, with the centrosome also. Secondary microtubule-organizing centers (MTOC-IIs) are a special feature of walled plant cells and are found at the plasma membrane where they organize arrays of cortical MTs that are essential for ordered cell wall synthesis and hence for cellular morphogenesis. MTOC-IIs are held to be similar in origin to the MTOC-I, but their material has been translocated to the cell periphery, perhaps by MTs organized and radiating from the MTOC-I. Many intranuclear, matrix-related components have been identified to participate in MT organization during mitosis and cytokinesis; some of them also seem to be related to the condensation and decondensation of chromatin during the mitotic chromosome cycle.

Nuclear matrix proteins as structural and functional components of the mitotic apparatus

The eukaryotic nucleus is a membrane-enclosed compartment containing the genome and associated organelles supported by a complex matrix of nonhistone proteins. Identified as the nuclear matrix, this component maintains spatial order and provides the structural framework needed for DNA replication, RNA synthesis and processing, nuclear transport, and steroid hormone action. During mitosis, the nucleoskeleton and associated chromatin is efficiently dismantled, packaged, partitioned, and subsequently reassembled into daughter nuclei. The dramatic dissolution of the nucleus is accompanied by the assembly of a mitotic apparatus required to facilitate the complex events associated with nuclear division. Until recently, little was known about the fate or disposition of nuclear matrix proteins during mitosis. The availability of specific molecular probes and imaging techniques, including confocal microscopy and improved immunoelectron microscopy using resinless sections and related procedures, has enabled investigators to identify and map the distribution of nuclear matrix proteins throughout the cell cycle. This chapter will review the structure, function, and distribution of the protein NuMA (nuclear matrix mitotic apparatus) and other nuclear matrix proteins that depart the nucleus during the interphase/mitosis transition to become structural and functional components within specific domains of the mitotic apparatus.

The murine Ki-67 cell proliferation antigen accumulates in the nucleolar and heterochromatic regions of interphase cells and at the periphery of the mitotic chromosomes in a process essential for cell cycle progression

We have isolated the murine homologue of the human Ki-67 antigen. The Ki-67 antigen is used as a marker to assess the proliferative capacity of tumour cells; however, its cellular function is not known. The murine Ki-67 cDNA sequence (TSG126) was found to contain 13 tandem repeats, making up more than half of the total protein size. A comparison of this repetitive sequence block to its human counterpart, which contains 16 consecutive repeat units, revealed several conserved sequence motifs, including one motif frequently observed in proteins interacting with DNA. An antiserum developed against the product of the TSG126 cDNA clone identified a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 360 kDa, mainly expressed in proliferating cells. The TSG126 protein begins to accumulate during the late G1 stage of the cell cycle and is first seen as numerous small granules evenly distributed throughout the nucleus. During the S and the G2 phases, larger foci that overlap with the nucleoli and the heterochromatic regions are formed. At the onset of mitosis the TSG126 protein undergoes a dramatic redistribution process and becomes associated with the surface of the condensed chromosomes. The relative absence of the TSG126 protein from G1 interphase cells strongly argues against a model where the association of the TSG126 protein with mitotic chromosomes merely reflects a mechanism for the symmetrical distribution of nucleolar proteins between daughter cells. Instead, the intracellular distribution of the TSG126 protein during the cell cycle suggests that it could have a chromatin-associated function in both interphase and mitotic cells. Microinjection of anti-TSG126 antibodies into proliferating Swiss-3T3 fibroblasts was found to delay cell cycle progression, indicating that the TSG126 protein has an essential nuclear function.

Characterization of a cell cycle-dependent nuclear autoantigen

Analysis of reactivity to nuclear antigens in autoimmune sera revealed a serum that produced a previously undescribed cell cycle-dependent immunofluorescence staining pattern. By indirect immunofluorescence using HEp-2 cells as substrate, the serum generated a speckled and nucleolar pleomorphic staining pattern. This characteristic immunofluorescence pattern was detected in different cell lines from various species indicating that the antigen was highly conserved. This serum immunoprecipitated a 85 kDa protein using an extract from [35S]-labeled HeLa cells. Indirect immunofluorescence of proliferating mouse 3T3 cells displayed the characteristic pleomorphic staining which was not observed in serum-starved cells. Resting human and mouse peripheral blood lymphocytes were negative in immunofluorescence while mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes were positive. Germinal centers of mice two weeks after immunization with 2-phenyl-oxazolone showed speckled immunofluorescence staining in the dark zones whereas unimmunized mice were completely negative. Cell synchronization experiments showed a characteristic sequence of locations of the antigen during the cell cycle. In G1, cells were completely negative. In late G1, G1/S and S phase, speckles were visible. In early G2, speckles were visible, and later in G2, the nucleoli were positive. During mitosis chromosomes were stained. Further characterization of this antibody specificity and cloning of cDNA are in progress.

The chromosome periphery during mitosis

A complex structure, visible by electron microscopy, surrounds each chromosome during mitosis. The organization of this structure is distinct from that of the chromosomes and the cytoplasm. It forms a perichromosomal layer that can be isolated together with the chromosomes. This layer covers the chromosomes except in centromeric regions. The perichromosomal layer includes nuclear and nucleolar proteins as well as ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). The list of proteins and RNAs identified includes nuclear matrix proteins (perichromin, peripherin), nucleolar proteins (perichro-monucleolin, Ki-67 antigen, B23 protein, fibrillarin, p103, p52), ribosomal proteins (S1) and snRNAs (U3 RNAs). Only limited information is available about how and when the perichromosomal layer is formed. During early prophase, the proteins extend from the nucleoli towards the periphery of the nucleus. Thin cordon-like structures reach the nuclear envelope delimiting areas in which chromosomes condense. At telophase, the proteins are associated with the part of the chromosomes remaining condensed and accumulate in newly formed nucleoli in regions where chromatin is already decondensed. The perichromosomal layer contains several different classes of proteins and RNPs and it has been attributed various roles: (1) in chromosome organization, (2) as a barrier around the chromosomes, (3) involvement in compartmentation of the cells in prophase and telophase and (4) a binding site for chromosomal passenger proteins necessary to the early process of nuclear assembly.

Cell cycle redistribution of U3 snRNA and fibrillarin. Presence in the cytoplasmic nucleolus remnant and in the prenucleolar bodies at telophase

The distribution of the U3 small nuclear RNA during the cell cycle of the CHO cell line was studied by in situ hybridization using digoxigenin-labelled oligonucleotide probes. The location of the hybrids by immunofluorescence microscopy and at the ultrastructural level was correlated with the distribution of two nucleolar proteins, nucleolin and fibrillarin. The U3 snRNA molecules persist throughout mitosis in close association with the nucleolar remnant. U3 snRNA is present in the prenucleolar bodies (PNBs) and could participate in nucleologenesis in association with several nucleolar proteins such as nucleolin and fibrillarin. The interaction of U3 snRNP with the 5' external spacer of pre-RNA newly synthesized by active NORs is proposed to be the promoting event of nucleologenesis.

The nucleolus

Nucleoli are the sites of biosynthesis of the ribosomal precursors. They contain may copies of the genes for the main rRNAs (18S- and 28 S-rRNA) in the form of tandemly arranged repeats at the chromosomal nucleolar organizer regions (NORs). They also contain the small rRNA (5S-rRNA) that is synthesized outside the nucleolus, specific nucleolar proteins, among them the factors and enzymes necessary for transcription and transcript processing, and the precursor units of the ribosomes. In man as in may vertebrate species, three main components of nucleoli, besides chromatin, can be detected: fibrillar centres (FC), dense fibrillar component (DCF), and granular component (GC). Within a nucleolus the FCs are in many cases situated in its central region. The DFc forms a network of strands surrounding the FCs, but may sometimes reach for out towards the periphery of the nucleolus. The GC is usually situated in the peripheral regions of the nucleolus. In cells with a low level of ribosomal biosynthesis the nucleoli are small, usually with a single FC and little surrounding DFC and GC ("ring-shaped nucleolus"). In active cells the DFC forms a large network enclosing several, sometimes up to hundreds of FCs, and the GC covers a large area in the periphery ("compact nucleoli"). In cells at the onset of a new stimulation, the DFC is very prominent whereas the FCs are few and small, and the GC is also not very extensive ("reticulate nucleoli"). In some special cell types that are very active other arrangements of the structural components are found. In Sertoli cells, for instance, only one nucleolus is found, or occasionally two, each with a single large FC and a distinct area of GC, both areas being engulfed by DFC intermingled with some peripheral GC. Immunocytological and in situ hybridization studies to localize the rRNA genes within the nucleolus have so far led to divergent results. Both fibrillar components, the FCs and the DFC, have been claimed as the most probable candidates. Transcription of rDNA and the subsequent early steps of ribosome biosynthesis are localized in the DFC, whereas later steps (mature rRNA, preribosomes) are localized in the GC. The FCs may also serve as sites for the preparation of the rDNA for transcription, and as a store for certain nucleolar proteins. During mitosis, parts of the nucleolar proteins remain at the NORs. A direct contact between the nucleolus and the nuclear envelope is frequently observed but is not dependent on nucleolar activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The analysis of 40 kDa nuclear protein, p40, in interphase cells and mitotic cells

We previously reported that the monoclonal antibody M108 recognized a 40 kDa protein both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. This nuclear 40 kDa antigen was located in the nuclear envelope in interphase cells and in the perichromosomal region during mitosis. Now, we have analyzed this nuclear 40 kDa protein (p40) further, through morphological and biochemical approaches. At the beginning of mitosis, the perinuclear p40 detached from the nuclear envelope and moved to surround the condensing chromatin, while in the late stage of mitosis, the perichromosomal p40 moved back to the reassembled nuclear envelope. Most of the perichromosomal p40 on the metaphase chromosome was solubilized only by DNase I treatment, not by either high salt or detergent treatment. On the other hand, the perinuclear p40 was not solubilized by DNase1 alone, or high salt detergent alone. Sequential treatments with DNase I and high salt detergent were required to extract p40 in interphase nuclei. These results suggest that p40 was associated both with the nuclear envelope and chromatin DNA in interphase nuclei, while it bound only to chromatin DNA in mitosis.

The ultrastructure of the chromosome periphery in human cell lines. An in situ study using cryomethods in electron microscopy

We studied the chromosome periphery in human HeLa and TG cells using cryomethods in electron microscopy. A contrasted layer of peripheral chromosomal material (PCM) was visible in cryo-ultrathin sections of mitotic cells. This PCM was composed of closely packed fibrils associated with granules. The PCM did not cover the entire chromosome surface but was found around most of the chromosomes and even between two chromatids. The organization of the PCM was not affected by colchicine treatment of mitotic cells. In cells prepared by quick-freezing, the PCM appeared to be a fibrous material at the chromosome periphery, and was also associated with granules that resembled inter-chromatin granules in size and shape. At higher magnification, direct contacts between the chromosomes and the fibrils of the PCM were observed. The cryotechniques used are known to preserve the native organization of cells. Therefore, the architecture of the perichromosomal region analysed presumably corresponds to that in vivo during mitosis. These observations show that in HeLa and TG cells, a particular structure present at the chromosome periphery in the form of PCM is persistent and ubiquitous. In addition, we showed by immunolabelling that the PCM is the specific site of accumulation of nucleolar antigens during mitosis. These two results, i.e. the identification of specific morphological structures and the compartmentation of proteins, indicate that this layer is a specific region of mitotic cells.

Integrating chromosome structure with function

Historically, the metaphase chromosome and its architecture has been viewed as the ultimate representation of a non-functional inactive chromatin state. Recent studies of centromere (kinetochore) function in concert with studies of the placement and function of several classes of chromosomal proteins now call for a reevaluation of this view. In this article a model of chromosome structure with functional correlates is presented. Evidence for the existence of a functional chromosomal region, the "Surface Domain" is discussed.

Immunoelectron-microscopic localization of a proliferation-associated antigen Ki-67 in MCF-7 cells

Immunocytochemistry using the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 is a commonly used method to assess proliferative activity of malignant tumours, Ki-67 reacts with proliferating cells with an antigen, whose structure, function and exact locations are unknown. We studied the subcellular location of Ki-67 in MCF-7 cells using immunoelectron microscopy. In the interphase cells, Ki-67 immunoreactivity was localized in the nucleolus, mainly in the nucleolar cortex. In particular, areas of the granular component of the nucleolus were strongly stained. Weak spot-like nucleoplasmic immunostaining was also seen outside the nucleolus. During prophase Ki-67 antigen was localized on the surfaces of the condensed chromatin and during metaphase on the surface of the chromosomes. After cell division and prior to formation of new nucleoli, Ki-67 immunoreactivity was located in the nucleoplasm. Quantification of Ki-67 immunofluorescence signal by flow cytometry revealed highest Ki-67 levels in mitotic cells. The location of Ki-67 is very similar to certain recently described proteins of nucleolar preribosomes suggesting that Ki-67 may also be a component of the preribosomes.