Nucleus

VM
Historical

First discovered by Robert Brown in 1833

Nucleoli were described by Schleiden in 1838

Although first noted by Fontana (1781)

The term nucleolus was coined by Bowman (1840)

Strassburger introduced the term cytoplasm and nucleoplasm

Hammerling’s Experiment on Acetabularia established

nucleus as the hereditary material.

Ultrastructure of nuclear envelope, nuclear pore complex &

Nuclear lamina were worked out by Kirschner et al., (1977),
Schatten and Thoman (1978).

Nucleo-cytoplasmic inter-relationships:-

Hammerling’s experiment on Acetobularia. Read the

experiment given in the book and discuss in the next lecture.
Occurrence and Position:-
All eukaryotes except mature sieve tubes of plants &
erythrocytes of mammals.

Usually nucleus remains located in the centre of the

cell

However, position may change a/c to the metabolic

necessity, e.g., embryonic cells, initially nucleus in
the centre but later on displaced from the centre.
Morphology:-
Nuclear no. may vary from cell to cell
1.Mononucleate:-
2.Binucleate:- Paramoecium, Cartilage cells
3.Polynucleate:- 3 to 100 nuclei, Also called
Syncytial cells in animals (e.g. osteoblasts) &
coenocytes in plants (Fungi, Vaucheria etc.)
Shape & size:- Spheroid, ellipsoidal & discoid
depending on the type of cells
Occupies 10% of the total cell volume; 3 µm to
25 µm in diameter; Hertwig has given a formula
to calculate the size of the nucleus of a cell.
 Vn
NP=
Vc-Vn

Where NP is the nucleoprotein index;

Vn is the volume of the nucleus; Vc is the
volume of the cell.
Nuclear envelope
–Nucleolus
–Nucleoplasm
–Chromatin.
•Contains the genetic material
encoded in the DNA of
chromosomes.
Nuclear envelope:

Surrounds the nuclear material.

•Consists of two parallel membranes,
separated from each other by a narrow
perinuclear cisterna.
•These membranes fuse at intervals, forming
openings in the nuclear envelope called
nuclear pores.
Outer Membrane:-

The outer membrane 5-10 nm thick.

•It faces the cytoplasm and is continuous at certain
sites with the rough endoplasmic reticulum.
•A loosely arranged mesh of intermediate filaments
(vimentin) surrounds the outer nuclear membrane on
its cytoplasmic aspect.
•Ribosomes stud the cytoplasmic surface of the
outer nuclear membrane.
•These ribosomes synthesize proteins that enter the
perinuclear cisterna
Inner Membrane:-
5-10 nm thick.
•Faces the nuclear material.
•Separated from it and supported on its inner surface
by the nuclear lamina, a fibrous lamina that is 80-300
nm thick & has contact with chromatin & nuclear RNA.
•Composed primarily of lamins A, B, and C.
•These intermediate filament proteins help organize the
nuclear envelope and chromatin.
•Additionally they are essential during the mitotic events,
when they are responsible for the disassembly and
reassembly of the nuclear envelope.
•Phosphorylation of lamins leads to disassembly, and
dephosphorylation results in reassembly of the nuclear
envelope.
The lamins exist in dimeric form and form filaments upon
requirement.
Perinuclear cisterna (space):-

Located between the inner and outer nuclear

membranes and is 20-40 nm wide.
•Continuous with the cisternae of the
RER.
•It is perforated by nuclear pores at various
locations.
 Nuclear pore
• nuclear localization
signals (nuclear
import signals)
• nuclear export signals
highly regulated
• Pore has octagonal
symmetry
• Hole in the centre of
plug complex is 10 100 nm diameter
responsible for
transport of water
soluble molecules
 Nuclear envelope and lamina
cytoplasm

N. lamina

Nuclear
pore

heterochromatin
Lamins are filamentous proteins in
the intermediate filament family
Lamin phosphorylation
in prophase
disassembles the
nuclear lamina & allows
for nuc. envel.
breakdown

Laminins are
extracellular proteins
http://www.sinauer.com/cooper5e/animation0901.html
Nucleoplasm:-
1. Nucleic acid: DNA and RNA
2. Proteins: Complex types
A.Basic proteins- nucleoprotamines &
nucleohistones
Nucleoprotamines - low mol wt proteins of
4000daltons; the most abundant AA of these
Proteins are Arginine (pH 10-11); these bind
with DNA by salt linkage; Examples- sperma-
tazoa of fishes.
Nucleohistones – High mol wt 10 to 18 kDa;
Composed of basic Aas, such as Arginine,
Lysine & Histidine;Bind with DNA with ionic
bonds; Types of histone proteins are H1,
H2A, B, H3, H4 and H5.
There are also non-histone proteins, which
are acidic & found either in the nucleoplasm
or the euchromatin.
3. Enzymes:- For synthesis of DNA & RNA
4. Lipids & minerals:- Small amounts.
5. Chromatin fibers:-
Thread-like elongated structures;condenses
into chromosomes; possess eu- and hetero-
chromatic regions; histone is the major
component of all eukaryotic chromatic excep
fungi.

The condensed portion of nucleus are

called as chromocenters or karyosomes or
false nucleoli.
6. Nucleolus:-
Acidophillic bodies, much prominent;
Cells of bacteria & yeast lack it;
Higher the synthetic activity of the cell,
Larger is the size of nucleolus; Ex- sperm
Cells, blastomeres have smaller nucleoli,
While oocytes, neurons have larger nucleoli

Nucleoli are attached at NO region of chrs.

Chemical composition of nucleolus:-
No limiting membrane;
Its intactness is maintained by Ca ions
It contains DNA of NO region, RNA of
Ribosomal type, &0S ribosomal proteins
& RNA binding and splicing nucleoproteins.

Also, contains phospholipids, ortho-

phosphates & Ca-ions.
Acid phosphatase, nucleoside phospho-
rylase & NAD synthesizing enzymes are
located in the nucleoli.
Formation of ribosomes from initiation, production
and maturation are completed in nucleoli from
the centre to periphery.

Fibrillar centre (RNA genes located on NO region

Gets transcribed), dense fibrillar (70S ribosomal
Proteins bind to the transcribed fragments) and
cortical granular (Processing & maturation of
nucleoli) regions are found in the nucleus.