The structure of chromatin at meiotic prophase I

The qualitative and quantitative changes in molecular chromatin structures during the meiotic prophase I were studied. The following patterns were discovered: (1) unlike somatic cells, the syntheses of total histone and DNA and its integration into the chromatin occur independently and asynchronously: DNA replication is completed by the interphase, whereas the synthesis of histone and its integration into the chromatin continue to late meiotic prophase I, and (2) individual histone fractions are synthesized and integrated into the chromatin during meiotic prophase independently and asynchronously. Chromatin hydrolysis with nucleases DNI, STN, and SI demonstrated considerable differences in the hydrolysis products obtained at different stages of the meiotic prophase I; presumably, this reflects the differences between the structures of initial chromatin at different stages of the meiotic prophase I.