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The Effects of Histone Modifications on Lens Cell Denucleation
Author(s) -
Sheehan Robert Patrick,
Duncan Melinda
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.460.3
Subject(s) - histone , histone h3 , lens fiber , euchromatin , microbiology and biotechnology , histone h2a , heterochromatin , biology , chemistry , dna , chromatin , nucleus , genetics
The lens of the eye contains both epithelial and fiber cells, with fibers cells deriving from the equatorial epithelium. When these cells differentiate, the nucleus and cellular organelles are broken down to facilitate transparency. However, small fragments of DNA can remain in fully mature lens fiber cells, although their structure is unknown. We found that histone H3, trimethylated on Lysine 9, which is associated with compact heterochromatin, co‐localizes with these DNA fragments. In contrast, the DNA remnants are not associated with either histone H3 Lysine 9 acetylation or histone H4 lysine 8 acetylation which is predominant in the more accessible euchromatin. These data suggest that the DNA fragments persisting in mature lens fiber cells are entirely composed of heterochromatin, perhaps because their highly compacted state prevented access of the nucleases responsible for DNA degradation during lens fiber cell differentiation. Supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Eye Institute.