Further investigations on the functional role of two nuclear bodies in onion cells

1615-6102

Centromeric structures ; Nuclear bodies ; Plant cells ; RNA processing ; Silver staining-nucleolus organizer proteins

Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Biology

Summary “Micropuffs” and coiled bodies are two nuclear bodies which have previously been described in a wide range of plant species. In this work, we have demonstrated, by means of ultrastructural cytochemical, autoradiographic and immunocytochemical methods, that the so-called “micropuffs” contain chromatin, which is organized in a supranucleosomal structure, is inactive in transcription, and has no apparent relationship with the nucleolus. These features, as well as the distribution of these structures during the interphase periods, allowed us to conclude that they represent centromeric structures, so, we propose that they be denoted by this name. Coiled bodies show the same silver-staining pattern as the nucleolus organizer (NOR), but do not appear to contain NOR chromatin nor does the early processing of rRNA precursor seem to take place in them. We postulate they are involved in later nuclear RNA processing and storage. This work clarifies some previous misunderstandings with regard to these bodies.

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