Nuclear basic protein changes during spermiogenesis in the longnose skate and the spiny dogfish

• Published in: Journal of Experimental Zoology
• Main Authors: Bols, N. C., Boliska, S. A., Rainville, J. B., Kasinsky, H. E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1980
• Subjects: spiny dogfish; Squalus acanthias
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jez.1402120315; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjez.1402120315; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jez.1402120315

Abstract Nuclear shape and the organization of nuclei within the seminiferous follicles have been used to divide spermiogenesis in the longnose skate, Raja rhina , into eight stages and in the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias , into seven stages. Cytochemical techniques for basic proteins reveal that as spermatid nuclei begin to elongate they have the somatic histone complement, and as they complete elongation they contain a very arginine‐rich, TCA‐extractable complement, or the salmon sperm histone type. After the nuclei have developed their ultimate corkscrew shape the final transition takes place to a very arginine‐rich, TCA‐stable complement, or the mammalian sperm histone type. These nuclei were not rich in sulfhydryl groups, but they were extractable with sodium thioglycolate. In addition, a number of variables affecting TCA extraction and subsequent alkaline fast green staining are described.