Phosphorylation of Histone H3S10 in Animal Chromosomes: Is There a Uniform Pattern?

Phosphorylation of serine 10 in histone H3 (H3S10ph) has been extensively analyzed and appears to be a conserved chromatin change associated with chromosome condensation in different eukaryotic organisms. In this work, we report the distribution of H3S10ph during meiosis in monocentric and holokinetic chromosomes of 6 insect species and in mitotic chromosomes of 7 mammalian species, aiming to investigate the labeling patterns in phylogenetically distant groups. The results indicated a very similar phosphorylation timing and distribution pattern among insects. The sex chromosomes of insects analyzed were always undercondensed and hypophosphorylated. Similarly, the micro chromosomes of the bug Pachylis aff pharaonis were also undercondensed and hypophosphorylated. Holokinetic chromosomes of bugs and monocentric chromosomes of grasshoppers and beetles displayed identical phosphorylation pattern in spite of the difference in the centromere type. Among mammals, a uniform chromosome phosphorylation was observed in marsupials, whereas bat chromosomes displayed a longitudinal banding pattern. These data indicate that, in general, the intensity of H3S10 phosphorylation in animal chromosomes is variable among the distinct chromosome types and associated with the degree of chromatin condensation at metaphase, but it may vary between different groups of animals. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel