Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Site Specific Lysine Acetylation of Histones for Nucleosome Reconstitution using Genetic Code Expansion in Escherichia coli
Published on: December 26, 2020
Acetylated nucleosome assembly on telomeric DNAs
Stefano Cacchione1, José Luis Rodríguez, Rosella Mechelli
1Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare, Fondazione Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185, Roma, Italy.
Abstract:
The role of histone N-terminal domains on the thermodynamic stability of nucleosomes assembled on several different telomeric DNAs as well as on 'average' sequence DNA and on strong nucleosome positioning sequences, has been studied by competitive reconstitution. We find that histone tails hyperacetylation favors nucleosome formation, in a similar extent for all the examined sequences. On the contrary, removal of histone terminal domains by selective trypsinization causes a decrease of nucleosome stability which is smaller for telomeres compared to the other sequences examined, suggesting that telomeric sequences have only minor interactions with histone tails. Micrococcal nuclease kinetics shows enhanced accessibility of acetylated nucleosomes formed both on telomeric and 'average' sequence DNAs. These results suggest a more complex role for histone acetylation than the decrease of electrostatic interactions between DNA and histones.
Related Concept Videos
The Nucleosome Core Particle
The paradox
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their main responsibility is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. While on the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access DNA...
Nucleosome Remodeling
Nucleosome remodeling complex
Eukaryotic cells have specialized enzymes called ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling enzymes. These enzymes...
Telomeres and Telomerase
Telomeres and Telomerase
The Nucleosome
In a chromosome, DNA is wound twice around a protein complex called a histone octamer core, which consists of 8 histone proteins. This...
The Nucleosome Core Particle
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their primary aim is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. On the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access histone-bound DNA during...

