Endonuclease-sensitive regions of human spermatozoal chromatin are highly enriched in promoter and CTCF binding sequences.

ABSTRACT: During the haploid phase of mammalian spermatogenesis, nucleosomal chromatin is ultimately repackaged by small, highly basic protamines to generate an extremely compact, toroidal chromatin architecture that is critical to normal spermatozoal function. In common with several species, however, the human spermatozoon retains a small proportion of its chromatin packaged in nucleosomes. As nucleosomal chromatin in spermatozoa is structurally more open than protamine-packaged chromatin, we considered it likely to be more accessible to exogenously applied endonucleases. Accordingly, we have used this premise to identify a population of endonuclease-sensitive DNA sequences in human and murine spermatozoa. Our results show unequivocally that, in contrast to the endonuclease-resistant sperm chromati

SUBMITTER: Arpanahi A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2720182 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature