Abundant alkali-sensitive sites in DNA of human and mouse sperm

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Experimental Cell Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4827(89)90344-3· OSTI ID:5715653

Singh, N P; Danner, D B; McCoy, M T; Collins, G D; Schneider, E L ^[1]; Tice, R R ^[2]

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1. National Inst. on Aging, Baltimore, MD (United States)
2. Brookhaven National Lab., NY (United States)

The DNA of human and mouse sperm cells was analyzed by single-cell microgel electrophoresis, by agarose gel electrophoresis, and by alkaline elution-three techniques that can detect single-strand DNA breaks and/or labile sites. Under these conditions a surprisingly large number of single-strand DNA breaks, approximately 10{sup 6} to 10{sup 7} per genome, were detected in human and mouse sperm but not in human lymphocytes or in mouse bone marrow cells. These breaks were also present in chicken erythrocyte DNA, which is also highly condensed. These breaks were not observed under neutral pH conditions nor under denaturing conditions not involving alkali, suggesting that these sites are alkali-sensitive and do not represent preexisting single-strand breaks. The high frequency of such sites in sperm from healthy mouse and human donors suggest that they represent a functional characteristic of condensed chromatin rather than DNA damage.

• OSTI ID: 5715653
• Journal Information: Experimental Cell Research; (United States), Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research; (United States) Vol. 184:2; ISSN ECREA; ISSN 0014-4827
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIRDS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CHICKENS
CHROMATIN
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
CYTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
DNA
ELECTROPHORESIS
ERYTHROCYTES
FOWL
GERM CELLS
LEUKOCYTES
LYMPHOCYTES
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MICE
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RODENTS
SOMATIC CELLS
SPERMATOCYTES
STRAND BREAKS
VERTEBRATES