An analysis of histone modifications in relation to sex-specific chromatin organization in the mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus.

The male-specific heterochromatization of the paternal genome, observed in coccids, is an example of both genomic imprinting and differential regulation of homologous chromosomes. We observed a highly nuclease-resistant chromatin (NRC) organization of a part of the paternal genome in males of Maconellicoccus hirsutus as reported earlier in Planococcus lilacinus. The nuclease resistance of NRC is correlated with nuclear matrix association and is lost when NRC is dissociated from the matrix. We carried out a comparative analysis of epigenetic modifications of histones in matrix associated chromatin of male and female mealybugs by ELISA. We detected H3K27me3, H4K20me3, H3K9me2 and H3K4me3 in both males and females and observed significant enrichment of H3K27me3 in the nuclear matrix of males compared to that of females. To further examine the presence of NRC in the germ line, nuclei were sorted based on chromatin compaction. The analysis of sorted nuclei indicates the presence of NRC in nuclei with different DNA content including the haploid nuclei from males. We discuss these results in the light of the presence of NRC exclusively in male nuclei and the retention of the maternal genome in sperm nuclei of mealybugs.