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Updated: Apr 16, 2026
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A Molecular Readout of Long-term Olfactory Adaptation in C. elegans
Published on: December 22, 2012
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A molecular take on Aesop's The oak and the reeds
Corentin J Moevus1, Eric C Greene2
1Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, 650 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Cell
|March 14, 2015
Summary
DNA is easier to pull from one side of a nucleosome than the other. This mechanical asymmetry may help RNA polymerases move through nucleosomes when approaching from a specific direction.
Area of Science:
- Molecular biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Nucleosomes are fundamental units of DNA packaging in eukaryotes.
- Understanding nucleosome mechanics is crucial for processes like transcription and DNA repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanical properties of DNA within nucleosomes.
- To determine if DNA can be displaced asymmetrically from nucleosomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized single-molecule force spectroscopy.
- Applied precise mechanical forces to DNA-nucleosome complexes.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that DNA displacement from one side of the nucleosome is mechanically favored over the other.
- Revealed an inherent asymmetry in nucleosome-DNA interactions.
Conclusions:
- The mechanical asymmetry of nucleosomes presents a potential mechanism for regulating DNA accessibility.
- This asymmetry may facilitate the passage of molecular machinery, such as RNA polymerase, through nucleosomes.
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