MODELING BALBIANI RING GENE-TRANSCRIPTION WITH ELECTRON-MICROSCOPE TOMOGRAPHY

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  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 35  (1) , 129-142
Abstract
Cross-sectional views of mature regions of Balbiani Ring (BR) transcription loops were reconstructed by EM tomography. Balsa wood models were built based upon the resulting tomograms. Coordinates of the centers of the ribonucleoprotein BR granules were estimated and employed to calculate the approximate orientation of the BR transcription unit axis in the plastic section. The density of BR granules per .mu.m of transcription unit axis was estimated. Employing structural parameters for mature regions of BR transcription loops derived from present and previous studies, theoretical calculations were performed to examine potential steric restrictions around the central chromatin axis. Tomograms were also observed and photographed on a varifocal (vibrating) mirror to illustrate the utility of a rapid user-interactive 3-dimensional display.

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