Open AccessLabelling of the rat spermatid nucleus with 3 H‐arginine
Author(s) -
SÖDERSTRÖM KARLOVE
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1985.tb00466.x
Subject(s) - spermatid , nucleus , spermiogenesis , biology , cytoplasm , histone , arginine , microbiology and biotechnology , sperm , cell nucleus , biochemistry , dna , genetics , amino acid
The incorporation of 3 H‐arginine by the nucleus of the rat spermatid was studied with electron microscopic autoradiography. The nucleus is slightly labelled with 3 H‐arginine until step 9 of spermiogenesis, where the labelling ceases when the nucleus condenses. Thereafter there is a high level of 3 H‐arginine incorporation into the spermatid nuclei at steps 15–16, reflecting the formation of the arginine rich sperm histone. This histone is synthesiszed in the cytoplasm close to the nuclear membrane. Based on this it is suggested that the arginine rich sperm histone does not play any role in the condensation of the sperm nuclei or in the cessation of RNA synthesis. It appears to be the package form of the DNA during the period of its transit from one generation to the next.