Chromosome Nanoscience & Technology

Despite progress in genetic research, knowledge about the exact structure of the chromosome continues to provide a challenge. Much of that challenge lies with the need for improved tools and methods that researchers require to perform novel analyses beyond the DNA level. Fortunately, rapid advances in nanotechnology, are now being employed to examine, analyze, and manipulate biological material at the chromosome level. Chromosome Nanoscience and Technology reviews these advances and their contribution to trends and applications in chromosome research. In addition to offering a guide to current progress, this book serves as the culminating report on a Japanese nanobiology project in the field of chromosome science begun in 2000. The project brought together researchers from disparate backgrounds that included molecular biology, biochemistry, protein science, immunology, genetics, anatomy, semiconductor production, polymer chemistry, material science, microscopy, and informatics, among others. Looking at chromosomes as nanomaterials, their contributions cover: Devices for chromosome handling, which includes the construction and application of nano and micro devices used for dissecting, analyzing, and manipulating chromosomes Visualization of chromosomes at nano and micro levels, which discusses methods for revealing nano-level folding of chromatin fibers Chromosomes as nanomaterials, which presents a new chromosome protein framework based on the cataloging of over 200 chromosomal proteins Informatics of chromosome images, which examines a new chromosome image database system for animals and plants This project, initiated a few years ago, now lays the groundwork for those scientists looking to perform further research in chromosome science. It provides them with starting points, as well as useful applications and methodology to assist in the long quest to gain a deepened understanding of life itself.

Mechanical Approaches to Elucidate Mechanisms of Chromosome Condensation at the Nano- and Micro-Level; Kazushige Kawabata, Keisuke Nomura, Kensuke Ikeda, Osamu Hoshi, Daisuke Fukushi, Hisashi Haga, and Tatsuo Ushiki Development of Novel AFM Probes for Chromosome Manipulation; Masato Saito, Gen Hashiguchi, and Eiichi Tamiya Microchamber Array-Based Sequence-Specific DNA Detection from a Single Chromosome via Trace Volume PCR; Masato Saito and Eiichi Tamiya On-Chip Chromosome Sorter Using Electric and Magnetic Fields; Takahito Inoue, Yasuyuki Fujita, Susumu Uchiyama, Tomoyuki Doi, Kiichi Fukui, and Hiroshi Yokoyama Fluorescence Microscopy for Analysis of Chromosome Dynamics; Sachihiro Matsunaga Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) as a Tool for Comparative Genomics; Yoichi Matsuda, Mami Shibusawa, Kazumi Matsubara, and Chizuko Nishida-Umehara Immunocytochemistry for Analyzing Chromosomes; Osamu Hoshi, Toru Hirota, Eiji Kimura, Nae Komatsubara, and Tatsuo Ushiki Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy of Mammalian Metaphase Chromosomes; Sumire Inaga, Keiichi Tanaka, and Tatsuo Ushiki Atomic Force Microscopy of Human Chromosomes in Relation to Their Higher-Order Structure; Osamu Hoshi, Daisuke Fukushi, and Tatsuo Ushiki Mechanism of Higher-Order Chromatin Folding Revealed by AFM Observation of In Vitro Reconstituted Chromatin; Kohji Hizume, Toshiro Kobori, Shige H. Yoshimura, and Kunio Takeyasu Scanning Near-Field Optical/Atomic Force Microscopy as a Tool for Simultaneous Specification of Chromosome Topography and Particular Gene Location on the Nanometer Scale; Motoharu Shichiri, Tomoyuki Yoshino, Daisuke Fukushi, Shoji Hagiwara, Kohei Akazawa, Toshio Ohtani, and Shigeru Sugiyama Isolation of Human and Plant Chromosomes as Nano-Materials; Susumu Uchiyama, Tomoyuki Doi, and Kiichi Fukui Proteome Analysis of Human Metaphase Chromosomes; Kiichi Fukui and Susumu Uchiyama Anti-Peptide Antibodies for Examining the Conformation and Molecular Assembly of an Intracellular Protein; Masatoshi Nakagawa, Nobuko Ohmido, Katsumi Ishikawa, Susumu Uchiyama, Kiichi Fukui, and Takachika Azuma Structure and Interactions of the Imitation SWI-Type Chromatin-Remodeling Complex, ATP-Dependent Chromatin-Assembly Factor; Tadayasu Ohkubo, Mariana Petkova-Andonova, Yukiko Kojima, Shota Nakamura, Hiroko Fujita, Yoshinori Nishi, Hiroaki Nakano, Susumu Uchiyama, Kiichi Fukui, and Yuji Kobayashi Dynamic and Functional Analysis of Chromosomal Proteins; Nobuko Ohmido, Susumu Uchiyama, Sachihiro Matsunaga, Masatoshi Nakagawa, Takachika Azuma, and Kiichi Fukui Development of a Sustainable Chromosome Imaging Database; Kenji Taniguchi, Chiharu Mitsueda, Naho Okumura, and Wakako Miyazaki Image Database and Image Analysis of Chromosome Information; Shin-ichi Toyabe, Takayuki Matsuto, Tatsuo Ushiki, and Kouhei Akazawa