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Updated: Aug 2, 2026

Probing The Structure And Dynamics Of Nucleosomes Using Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging
Published on: January 31, 2019
Chromatin architecture: investigation of a subunit of chromatin by dark field electron microscopy
Abstract:
Dark field scanning electron microscopy of unstained, unfixed samples of chromatin, histone-1-depleted chromatin, and nucleohistone has been used to identify an apparent subunit of chromatin, namely a disk-shaped structure we term the unit particle, which is probably about 135 A wide and 50 A thick in the hydrated state. The unit particles are found at rather uniform intervals along thin DNA-like fibers. Histone 1 depletion leads to a bimodal distribution of these spacings. Our observations suggest that the unit particle consists of a loop of nucleoprotein, perhaps around a histone core.
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