Phosphorylation of Histone H3S10 in Animal Chromosomes: Is There a Uniform Pattern?

Abstract

Phosphorylation of serine 10 in histone H3 (H3S10ph) has been extensively analyzed and appears to be a conserved chromatin change associated with chromosome condensation in different eukaryotic organisms. In this work, we report the distribution of H3S10ph during meiosis in monocentric and holokinetic chromosomes of 6 insect species and in mitotic chromosomes of 7 mammalian species, aiming to investigate the labeling patterns in phylogenetically distant groups. The results indicated a very similar phosphorylation timing and distribution pattern among insects. The sex chromosomes of insects analyzed were always undercondensed and hypophosphorylated. Similarly, the micro chromosomes of the bug Pachylis aff pharaonis were also undercondensed and hypophosphorylated. Holokinetic chromosomes of bugs and monocentric chromosomes of grasshoppers and beetles displayed identical phosphorylation pattern in spite of the difference in the centromere type. Among mammals, a uniform chromosome phosphorylation was observed in marsupials, whereas bat chromosomes displayed a longitudinal banding pattern. These data indicate that, in general, the intensity of H3S10 phosphorylation in animal chromosomes is variable among the distinct chromosome types and associated with the degree of chromatin condensation at metaphase, but it may vary between different groups of animals.

High Diversity in CMA₃/DAPI-Banding Patterns in Heteropterans

“…Although we observed fragmentation of sex chromosomes only in S. fusca (discussed below), m chromosomes were observed in 11 species of coreids, excluding A. hahni . These 'special' chromosomes were first mentioned by Wilson [1905], and later referred to by Sotero-Caio et al [2011]. These chromosomes appeared as univalents in coreids, without pairing or chiasmata.…”

Different Patterns of Chromosomal Histone H3 Phosphorylation in Land Plants

“…The HW pattern had also been previously reported in R. tenuis [Guerra et al, 2006] and the Juncaceae L. luzuloides [Gernand et al, 2003]. The difference between the HP and HW patterns in plants has been attributed to the occurrence of localized or diffuse centromeres, respectively [Gernand et al, 2003], although animals with either localized or diffuse centromeres have chromosomes with identical HW patterns [Hendzel et al, 1997;Sotero-Caio et al, 2011]. Therefore, the holokinesis is probably not the only reason why some species display completely phosphorylated mitotic chromosomes.…”

“…The relationships between these 2 lineages and the third one, Bryophyta or mosses, are still unclear [Shaw and Renzaglia, 2004]. Beyond bryophytes, the HW pattern has been found in all animals, except for a few mammal species [Garcia-Orad et al, 2001;Sotero-Caio et al, 2011], fungi [Hsu et al, 2000], and protozoan ] so far investigated. Tracheophytes are currently divided into 2 major clades: Lycophytes, represented by less than 1% of extant vascular plants, characterized by, among other traits, leaves with an intercalary meristem, and Euphylophytes, which possess leaves with marginal or apical meristem (euphylls) and includes the remaining ferns (Monilophytes), gymnosperms, and angiosperms [Pryer et al, 2004].…”

“…In mitotic and meiotic cells from animals, the phosphorylation begins in the pericentromeric regions of the chromosomes, later extending to the rest of the chromosome arms [Hendzel et al, 1997;Sotero-Caio et al, 2011]. A uniform labeling of metaphase chromosomes was also found in mitosis of 2 plant species (Luzula luzuloides and Rhynchospora tenuis) with holokinetic chromosomes [Gernand et al, 2003;Guerra et al, 2006] and in meiosis I of angiosperms with monocentric chromosomes [Houben et al, 1999;Manzanero et al, 2000;Gernand et al, 2003;Paula et al, 2013].…”

“…In mitotic chromosomes of Ornithogalum longibracteatum , an increased phosphorylation level was reported on the interstitial heterochromatin [Pedrosa et al, 2001]; in maize meiosis, chromosomal hyperphosphorylation in prophase I bivalents was detected only in the NOR [Kaszás and Cande, 2000], and in metaphase I bivalents of Cestrum strigilatum , the chromosomal hyperphosphorylation was restricted to the proximal regions instead of being uniformly phosphorylated [Fernandes et al, 2008] . Furthermore, in a few mammal species, the phosphorylation was stronger in more condensed regions, resulting in a G-band-like pattern [Sotero-Caio et al, 2011], or in different chromosome regions [Garcia-Orad et al, 2001].…”