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Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on September 11, 2009
Molecular Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/molehr/gap080
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Function of Sperm Chromatin Structural Elements in Fertilization and Development

W. Steven Ward, Ph.D.

Address: W. Steven Ward, Ph.D. Professor and Director, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1960 East-West Rd. Honolulu, HI 96822, Tel:  808-956-5189, Fax:  808-956-7316, E-mail:  wward{at}hawaii.edu

Understanding how DNA is packaged in the mammalian sperm cell has important implications for human infertility as well as for the cell biology. Recent advances in the study of mammalian sperm chromatin structure and function have altered our perception of this highly condensed, inert chromatin. Sperm DNA is packaged very tightly to protect the DNA during the transit that occurs before fertilization. However, this condensation cannot sacrifice chromosomal elements that are essential for the embryo to access the correct sequences of the paternal genome for proper initiation of the embryonic developmental program. The primary levels of sperm chromatin structure can be divided into three main categories; the large majority of DNA is packaged by protamines, a smaller amount (2-15%) retains histone bound chromatin, and the DNA is attached to the nuclear matrix at roughly 50 kb intervals. Current data suggest that the latter two structural elements are transferred to the paternal pronucleus after fertilization where they have important functional roles. The nuclear matrix organization is essential for DNA replication, and the histone bound chromatin identifies genes that are important for embryonic development. These data support the emerging view of the sperm genome as providing, in addition to the paternal DNA sequence, a structural framework that includes molecular regulatory factors that are required for proper embryonic development.

Key Words: Sperm chromatin/nuclear matrix/histones/protamines

Submitted on August 10, 2009; resubmitted on September 7, 2009; accepted on September 9, 2009.


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