Nuclear envelope assembly around sperm chromatin in cell-free preparations from Drosophila embryos

Abstract

Chicken sperm chromatin initiated an assembly of interphase-like nuclei in a cell-free cytoplasmic preparation from 1–6 h old Drosophila melanogaster embryos. The formation of these interphase-like nuclei from the condensed sperm chromatin happened in a series of distinct steps. Anti-Drosophila lamin monoclonal antibody stained the assembled nuclei in a pattern indistinguishable from normal Drosophila nuclei. This assembly process required an ATP regenerating system and could be blocked by the addition of novobiocin into the cell-free extract.