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Chromatin dynamics in Triturus cristatus oogenesis: an epigenetic approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2008

Liliana Burlibaşa ,
Otilia Zărnescu ,
Natalia Cucu  and
Lucian Gavrilă
Liliana Burlibaşa*
Affiliation:
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Biology, Genetics Department, No. 1–3 Aleea Portocalilor, Sector 6, 060101, Bucharest, Romania. Institute of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, No. 1–3 Aleea Portocalilor, Sector 6, 060101, Bucharest, Romania.
Otilia Zărnescu
Affiliation:
Developmental Biology Department, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Biology, No. 91–95 Splaiul Independenţei, Sector 5, 050095, Bucharest, Romania
Natalia Cucu
Affiliation:
Institute of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, No. 1–3 Aleea Portocalilor, Sector 6, 060101, Bucharest, Romania.
Lucian Gavrilă
Affiliation:
Institute of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, No. 1–3 Aleea Portocalilor, Sector 6, 060101, Bucharest, Romania.
*
All correspondence to Liliana Burlibasa. University of Bucharest, Faculty of Biology, Genetics Department, No. 1–3 Aleea Portocalilor, Sector 6, 060101, Bucharest, Romania. Tel:/Fax: +40213181565. e-mail: liliana_burlibasa@yahoo.com.au
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Summary

Oogenesis is a critical event in the formation of female gametes, whose role in development is to transfer genomic information to the next generation. During this process, the gene expression pattern changes dramatically concomitant with genome remodelling, while genomic information is stably maintained. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chromatin architecture in newt oocytes. Using fluorescence microscopy, as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), immunohistochemical method and RE-ChIP assay, some peculiar aspects of chromatin and chromosome organization and evolution in crested newt oogenesis were investigated. We focussed our investigations on detection of certain epigenetic modifications (H4 hyperacetylation, H2A ubiquitinylation and cytosine methylation) at the rRNA gene (18S–5.8S–28S) promoter region. Our findings suggest that there is an involvement of some epigenetic modifications as well as of linker histone variants in chromatin architecture dynamics during crested newt oogenesis.

Keywords

Chromatin remodellingEpigenetic modificationsLinker histonesOogenesisrRNA gene promoter
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , November 2008 , pp. 315 - 326
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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