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Related Concept Videos

Heterochromatin02:38

Heterochromatin

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...
Heterochromatin02:38

Heterochromatin

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...
Euchromatin01:01

Euchromatin

The extent of chromatin compaction can be studied by staining chromatin using specific DNA binding dyes. Under the microscope, the dense-compacted regions take up more dye, appearing darker, while the less-compact areas take up less dye and appear lighter. Based on the compaction level, chromatins are classified into two primary forms – euchromatin and heterochromatin.
Euchromatin is the less dense region of the chromatin and stains lighter. Euchromatin contains histone H3 extensively...
Euchromatin01:01

Euchromatin

The extent of chromatin compaction can be studied by staining chromatin using specific DNA binding dyes. Under the microscope, the dense-compacted regions take up more dye, appearing darker, while the less-compact areas take up less dye and appear lighter. Based on the compaction level, chromatins are classified into two primary forms – euchromatin and heterochromatin.
Euchromatin is the less dense region of the chromatin and stains lighter. Euchromatin contains histone H3 extensively...
Duplication of Chromatin Structure02:05

Duplication of Chromatin Structure

The process of chromosome duplication during cell division requires genome-wide disruption and re-assembly of chromatin. The chromatin structure must be accurately inherited, reassembled, and maintained in the daughter cells to ensure lineage propagation.
The basic unit of the chromatin is the nucleosome, consisting of DNA wrapped around octameric histone proteins and short stretches of linker DNA separating individual nucleosomes. The histone proteins within the nucleosome have their...
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

A Method to Study de novo Formation of Chromatin Domains
07:34

A Method to Study de novo Formation of Chromatin Domains

Published on: August 23, 2019

Molecular architecture of human polycomb repressive complex 2.

Claudio Ciferri1, Gabriel C Lander, Alessio Maiolica

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology , University of California , Berkeley , United States.

Elife
|October 31, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) structure was determined using cryo-EM. This reveals how cofactor AEBP2 regulates gene silencing and how histone modifications control PRC2 activity.

Keywords:
Gene silencingHumanchemical cross-linkingchromatincryo-EMlabeling

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Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
10:28

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers

Published on: September 20, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics and Gene Regulation
  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Mechanisms of Transcription

Background:

  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) is crucial for gene silencing via histone H3 Lysine 27 trimethylation.
  • The structural organization and subunit interactions of PRC2 remain largely uncharacterized.
  • Cofactors like AEBP2 play a role in PRC2 function, but their precise influence is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the three-dimensional structure of the human PRC2 complex bound to AEBP2.
  • To map the interactions between PRC2 subunits and their functional domains.
  • To understand the regulatory role of AEBP2 and histone modifications on PRC2 activity.

Main Methods:

  • Three-dimensional electron microscopy (3D-EM) of the human PRC2-AEBP2 complex.
  • Novel internal protein tagging for subunit localization.
  • Isotopic chemical cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (XL-MS) for interaction mapping.

Main Results:

  • The first 3D structure of human PRC2 in complex with AEBP2 was determined.
  • A detailed map of PRC2 subunit and domain interactions was generated.
  • AEBP2 binding suggests an allosteric role in gene silencing, and histone interaction sites are near the methyltransferase active site.

Conclusions:

  • The structure provides insights into PRC2 architecture and subunit organization.
  • AEBP2 acts as a regulator of gene silencing through allosteric mechanisms.
  • The findings suggest a mechanism for chromatin-based regulation of PRC2 activity via histone modifications.