REVIEW: Structural-Functional Model of the Mitotic Chromosome

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V. Yu. Polyakov^1*, O. V. Zatsepina¹, I. I. Kireev¹, A. N. Prusov¹, D. I. Fais^1,2, E. V. Sheval¹, Yu. V. Koblyakova¹, S. A. Golyshev¹, and Yu. S. Chentsov³

¹Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia; fax: (7-495) 939-3181; E-mail: sheval_e@genebee.msu.su

²Joint Italian-Russian Institute of Ecological Research and Education, University of Palermo, Palermo 90128, Italy

³Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received January 27, 2005; Revision received February 17, 2005

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In the present review the structural role of noncoding DNA, mechanisms of differential staining of mitotic chromosomes, and structural organization of different levels of DNA compactization are discussed. A structural-functional model of the mitotic chromosome is proposed based on the principle of discreteness of structural levels of DNA compactization.

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KEY WORDS: chromatin, chromosome, mitosis, banding, chromomere, chromonema

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297906010019

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