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Updated: May 23, 2026
06:32
Deciphering Molecular Mechanism of Histone Assembly by DNA Curtain Technique
Published on: March 9, 2022
Internucleosomal interactions mediated by histone tails allow distant communication in chromatin
Olga I Kulaeva1, Guohui Zheng, Yury S Polikanov
1Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|April 21, 2012
Summary
Histone tails facilitate long-distance communication in chromatin, enabling efficient transcriptional regulation. These interactions are crucial for connecting regulatory DNA elements to their targets across the genome.
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology
- Genomics
- Biophysics
Background:
- Long-distance interactions in chromatin are vital for eukaryotic gene regulation.
- The precise mechanisms enabling communication between distant DNA elements within chromatin remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying efficient, long-range communication between DNA elements in chromatin.
- To investigate the role of histone tails in mediating these interactions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized molecular simulations to model internucleosomal interactions.
- Performed experimental analysis of communication rates in chromatin constructs with and without histone tails.
Main Results:
- Molecular simulations indicated that transient internucleosomal interactions, particularly electrostatic interactions involving histone tails, promote the juxtaposition of distant DNA sites.
- Experimental data confirmed efficient, distance-independent communication in chromatin containing histone tails, but not in tailless chromatin.
Conclusions:
- Internucleosomal interactions mediated by histone N-terminal tails are essential for highly efficient, long-range communication in eukaryotic genomes.
- These interactions are critical for connecting regulatory elements to their genomic targets.
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In a chromosome, DNA is wound twice around a protein complex called a histone octamer core, which consists of 8 histone proteins. This...
In a chromosome, DNA is wound twice around a protein complex called a histone octamer core, which consists of 8 histone proteins. This...
02:33The Nucleosome
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02:54Nucleosome Remodeling
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02:21Chromatin Packaging
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In combination with specialized DNA binding protein called Histones, the DNA double helix forms a compact DNA: protein complex called chromatin. The chromatin itself is further compacted into higher-order structures.
The chromatin
In combination with specialized DNA binding protein called Histones, the DNA double helix forms a compact DNA: protein complex called chromatin. The chromatin itself is further compacted into higher-order structures.
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The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
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