Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D E Comings

Publications and source records attributed to D E Comings.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1967

Histones of genetically active and inactive chromatin.

It has frequently been proposed that a variation in the relative content of lysine-rich, moderately lysine-rich, and arginine-rich histones might provide a mechanism by which specific portions of the genome may be genetically regulated. This possibility was investigated by comparing the electrophoretic pattern of these three fractions in cells differing markedly in their content of genetically active and genetically inactive chromatin. Three models were used: heterochromatin versus euchromatin; metaphase cells versus interphase cells, and mature lymphocytes versus phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes. In no case was there a significant difference in the histone patterns of these contrasting models. It is concluded that, although histones may act as a generalized repressor and structural component of chromatin, factors other than a variation in histone pattern may be responsible for repression or derepression of specific segments of the genome.

Animals↗
PubMed1966

Centromere: absence of DNA replication during chromatid separation in human fibroblasts.

Cultures of human fibroblasts were labeled briefly with tritiated thymidine and fixed; autoradiographs were made and exposed for 3(1/2) months. No labeling was noted over the centromere of metaphase or anaphase chromosomes. The technique was sensitive to replication at the centromere of a DNA helix only 2.5 microns long, considerably shorter than the estimated length of a replicon in humans. This suggests that chromatid separation during mitosis is not associated with delayed replication of a short segment of chromosomal DNA.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1966

Uridine-5-H3 radioautography of the human sex chromatin body.

To obtain an estimate of the rate of RNA synthesis by the heterochromatic sex chromatin body, human female fibroblasts were labeled with uridine-5-H(3) and radioautographed. The number of grains over the sex chromatin body was compared with the number of grains over a comparable area of euchromatin. The ratio was 0.37. When corrected for the higher content of DNA per unit area in heterochromatin, the maximum rate of RNA synthesis by the DNA of the sex chromatin body was approximately 18% of the rate of RNA synthesis by a comparable amount of euchromatin DNA. The rate of RNA synthesis by the sex chromatin body did not increase significantly with partial despiralization of this chromatin at prophase.

Adolescent↗