Chromosome

packing and
chromosome
structure
DEPT. MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY,
FAC. MEDICINE, HASANUDDIN
UNIVERSITY,
MAKASSAR

 The total length of DNA greatly exceeds the

dimension of the cell space into which it must
fit.
The typical Escherichia coli cell is about 1um
in diameter and 2 um in length, yet it must
accommodate a circular DNA with a length of
about 1600nm.
Somehow all this DNA must be efficiently
packaged to fit into the cell yet still remain
readily accessible to the cellular machinery
for replication, transcription of specific genes,
and other processes involving DNA.

A. Chromosome
packaging in eukaryotes
Each eukaryotic chromosom is thought to
have a single, very long, linear DNA
molecule.
Greater structural complexity is introduced
by the association of eukaryotic DNA with
greater masses and numbers of protein.
The DNA with its associated proteins is
called chromatin.

 The level of chromosome packaging or

the degree of compaction of eukaryotic
chromatin varies with the stage in life
cycle of the cell.
The chromatin is most tightly packed
during cell division. At other times, the
degree of compaction is generally much
less, and the chromatin appears as one
diffuse mass.
The basic structural unit of chromosome
is the nucleosome, which is found in all
stages of the life cycle.

The structural units of chromosome

packaging from its diffuse form to its
more condensed form are
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Nucleosome
30 nm chromatin fiber
Looped domain
Heterochromatin and euchromatin
Chromosome

A.1. Nucleosome
Nucleosome is the basic structural
unit of eukaryotic chromosome,
consists of DNA associated with
molecules of basic proteins called
histones.
There are five major classes of
histones: H1, H2A, H2B, H3, and
H4.

 Amino acids constituting histone proteins

give the protein a positive charge. The
association of histone proteins with DNA
which is negatively charged is stabilized by
ionic bonds.
Under electron microscope, nucleosomes
look like beads on a string.
Each nucleosome bead, or core particle, is
about 11 nm in diameter, consists of eight
histone molecules (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4,
two of each) and 146 nucleotides pairs of
DNA wrapping around the histones in a
negative supercoil of almost two full turns.

 Nucleosome beads are separated from

each other by a length of nucleosome
linker DNA.
Linker DNA consists of 50-60 nucleotide
base pairs.

A.1 30 nm chromatin
fiber
Chromatin undergo further packing from
nucleosome structure into 30 nm chromatin
fiber structure.
The 30 nm chromatin fiber structure is a 30 nm
thick coil of nucleosomes, sometimes called
solenoid, consisting of 6 nucleosomes per turn.
Both the linker DNA and histone H1 molecules
are in the solenoids interior.

A.3. Looped Domains

The next level of chromatin packaging is the
formation of looped domains consisting of an
average of 50,000-100,000 base pairs.
The loop structure are held together by non
histone protein.
Chromatin loops contain active regions of DNA,
that is being transcribed. The active DNA are
less tightly packed in comparison to inactive
DNA.

A.4. Heterochromatin
and Euchromatin
Significant amount of the chromatin may be
further compacted. The degree of folding
probably varies within a continuum.
Segments of chromatin so highly
compacted that they show up as dark spots
in micrographs are called heterochromatin,
which are transcriptionally inactive.
Segments of chromatin less compacted and
more diffused are called euchromatin and
are transcriptionally active.

A.5. Chromosome
Chromosome is a very highly compacted
heterochromatin, duplicated, consisting of
two chromatids, usually visible under the
microscope in a dividing cell.

B. Chromosome
structure

The two daughter DNAs are encased in chromosomal

proteins forming sister chromatids, which are held together
at their centromere. The centromere is the structure
where the mitotic spindle attaches prior to segregation.
the relative position of the centromere is constant,
which means that that the ratio of the lengths of the
two arms is constant for each chromosome. This ratio
is an important parameter for chromosome identification,
and also, the ratio of lengths of the two arms allows
classification of chromosomes into several basic
morphologic types: