Scanning force microscopy reveals ellipsoid shape of chicken erythrocyte nucleosomes

Scanning force microscopy was used to investigate the conformation of hypotonic spread chicken erythrocyte nucleosomes. Nucleosomal chains were prepared in low-salt conditions and fixed before centrifugation onto glass coverslips and air drying. The images of single nucleosomes were isolated by image processing, and the height and geometry of the resulting three-dimensional structures were investigated. An average nucleosome height of 4.2 +/- 1.1 nm was determined. A virtual cross section at half-maximum height of the nucleosome structure was used for a characterization of the nucleosome geometry. The shape of this cross section was best described by an ellipse with an aspect ratio (major/minor axis) of approximately 1.30.