The Total Structure and Organization of Chromosomal Fibers in Eutherian Sperm Nuclei

The structural basis of the large anomalous circular dichroism spectrum observed for highly native chromosomal fibers released from the heads of equine sperm has been investigated through physico-chemical and theoretical means. Linear dichroism measurements on the chromosomal fibers indicate an orientation of the DNA helix axis perpendicular to the fiber length. The fibers respond as cholesteric liquid crystals to reflectance spectroscopy with a...