Genetic Dissection of Morphometric Traits Reveals That Phytochrome B Affects Nucleus Size and Heterochromatin Organization in Arabidopsis thaliana.

ABSTRACT: Microscopically visible chromatin is partitioned into two major components in Arabidopsis thaliana nuclei. On one hand, chromocenters are conspicuous foci of highly condensed "heterochromatic" domains that contain mostly repeated sequences. On the other hand, less condensed and gene-rich "euchromatin" emanates from these chromocenters. This differentiation, together with the dynamic nature of chromatin compaction in response to developmental and environmental stimuli, makes Arabidopsis a powerful system for studying chromatin organization and dynamics. Heterochromatin dynamics can be monitored by measuring the Heterochromatin Index, i.e., the proportion of nuclei displaying well-defined chromocenters, or the DNA fraction of chromocenters (relative heterochromatin fract

SUBMITTER: Snoek BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5555459 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature