DNase I cuts DNA that is not protected by bound proteins but is unable to cut DNA that is complexed with proteins. Human DNA is isolated, stripped of its nonhistone proteins, and mixed with DNase I. Samples are removed after 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 4 hours and run separately in gel electrophoresis. The resulting gel is stained to make all DNA fragments in it visible, and the results are shown in the figure. DNA fragment sizes in base pairs (bp) are estimated by the scale to the left of the gel. Draw a conclusion about the organization of chromatin in the human genome from this gel.

A boy with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) has 46 chromosomes. His parents and his two older sisters have a normal phenotype, but each has 45 chromosomes.

What is the probability the next child of this couple will have a normal phenotype and have 46 chromosomes? Explain your answer.

Experimental evidence demonstrates that the nucleosomes present in a cell after the completion of S phase are composed of some 'old' histone dimers and some newly synthesized histone dimers. Describe the general design for an experiment that uses a protein label such as ³⁵S to show that nucleosomes are often a mixture of old and new histone dimers following DNA replication.

DNase I cuts DNA that is not protected by bound proteins but is unable to cut DNA that is complexed with proteins. Human DNA is isolated, stripped of its nonhistone proteins, and mixed with DNase I. Samples are removed after 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 4 hours and run separately in gel electrophoresis. The resulting gel is stained to make all DNA fragments in it visible, and the results are shown in the figure. DNA fragment sizes in base pairs (bp) are estimated by the scale to the left of the gel. Examine the gel results and speculate why longer DNase I treatment produces different results.

Genomic DNA from the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is organized by nucleosomes in the manner typical of eukaryotic genomes, with 145 bp encircling each nucleosome and approximately 55 bp in linker DNA. When C. elegans chromatin is carefully isolated, stripped of nonhistone proteins, and placed in an appropriate buffer, the chromatin decondenses to the 10-nm fiber structure. Suppose researchers mix a sample of 10-nm–fiber chromatin with a large amount of the enzyme DNase I that randomly cleaves DNA in regions not protected by bound protein. Next, they remove the nucleosomes, separate the DNA fragments by gel electrophoresis, and stain all the DNA fragments in the gel.

Approximately what range of DNA fragment sizes do you expect to see in the stained electrophoresis gel? How many bands will be visible on the gel?

Genomic DNA from the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is organized by nucleosomes in the manner typical of eukaryotic genomes, with 145 bp encircling each nucleosome and approximately 55 bp in linker DNA. When C. elegans chromatin is carefully isolated, stripped of nonhistone proteins, and placed in an appropriate buffer, the chromatin decondenses to the 10-nm fiber structure. Suppose researchers mix a sample of 10-nm–fiber chromatin with a large amount of the enzyme DNase I that randomly cleaves DNA in regions not protected by bound protein. Next, they remove the nucleosomes, separate the DNA fragments by gel electrophoresis, and stain all the DNA fragments in the gel.

Explain the origin of DNA fragments seen in the gel.

Genomic DNA from the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is organized by nucleosomes in the manner typical of eukaryotic genomes, with 145 bp encircling each nucleosome and approximately 55 bp in linker DNA. When C. elegans chromatin is carefully isolated, stripped of nonhistone proteins, and placed in an appropriate buffer, the chromatin decondenses to the 10-nm fiber structure. Suppose researchers mix a sample of 10-nm–fiber chromatin with a large amount of the enzyme DNase I that randomly cleaves DNA in regions not protected by bound protein. Next, they remove the nucleosomes, separate the DNA fragments by gel electrophoresis, and stain all the DNA fragments in the gel.

How do the expected results support the 10-nm–fiber model of chromatin?