Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
09:42
Immunostaining for DNA Modifications: Computational Analysis of Confocal Images
Published on: September 7, 2017
Distinctive signatures of histone methylation in transcribed coding and noncoding human beta-globin sequences
AeRi Kim1, Christine M Kiefer, Ann Dean
1Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan 609-735, South Korea. kimaeri@pusan.ac.kr
Molecular and Cellular Biology
|December 13, 2006
Summary
Epigenetic marks like histone methylation correlate with gene transcription. H3K36 trimethylation (H3K36me3) is a stable mark across transcribed coding and noncoding sequences, regardless of transcriptional level.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Epigenetic marks, including histone tail methylation, are mechanistically linked to RNA polymerase II activity in genes.
- Understanding the interplay of these modifications in both coding and noncoding transcribed sequences is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze epigenetic modifications and chromatin structure at high resolution across a 300 kb region of human chromosome 11.
- To investigate the relationship between histone methylation patterns and transcriptional activity, including the beta-globin locus.
Main Methods:
- High-resolution analysis of epigenetic modifications and chromatin structure.
- Mapping of monomethylated, hypermethylated, and trimethylated histone marks (H3K4, H3K9, H3K36).
- Correlation of epigenetic marks with transcriptional activity in coding and noncoding regions.
Main Results:
- Monomethylated H3K4, H3K9, and H3K36 were broadly distributed.
- Hypermethylated forms varied across the region, reflecting transcriptional activity.
- Trimethylation of H3K4 and H3K9 correlated with highly transcribed sequences.
- H3K36me3 was broadly detected in transcribed sequences, indicating stability across different transcription levels.
- Epigenetic features and chromatin structure showed no transitions at the globin domain borders interacting with CTCF.
Conclusions:
- H3K36me3 is a stable epigenetic mark associated with transcribed sequences, irrespective of transcriptional level.
- The function of domain borders, such as those involving CTCF, requires further investigation due to the lack of observed epigenetic transitions.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:32Histone Modification
The histone proteins have a flexible N-terminal tail extending out from the nucleosome. These histone tails are often subjected to post-translational modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Particular combinations of these modifications form “histone codes” that influence the chromatin folding and tissue-specific gene expression.
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
02:32Histone Modification
The histone proteins have a flexible N-terminal tail extending out from the nucleosome. These histone tails are often subjected to post-translational modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Particular combinations of these modifications form “histone codes” that influence the chromatin folding and tissue-specific gene expression.
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
01:30General Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
02:25Spreading of Chromatin Modifications
The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
The writer is an enzyme that can...
Writers
The writer is an enzyme that can...
02:16Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
02:38Heterochromatin
The extent of chromatin compaction can be studied by staining chromatin using specific DNA binding dyes. Under the microscope, the dense-compacted regions that take up more dye are called heterochromatin. Heterochromatin is further classified into two forms – constitutive heterochromatin and facultative heterochromatin.
Constitutive heterochromatin: It is a highly compact region of chromatin that is mostly concentrated in the centromere and telomere. Unlike euchromatin, the amino acid at 9th...
Constitutive heterochromatin: It is a highly compact region of chromatin that is mostly concentrated in the centromere and telomere. Unlike euchromatin, the amino acid at 9th...