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Related Concept Videos

Histone Modification02:32

Histone Modification

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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...
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Histone Modification02:32

Histone Modification

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The Nucleosome Core Particle01:12

The Nucleosome Core Particle

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Nucleosomes are the DNA-histone complex, where the DNA strand is wound around the histone core. The histone core is an octamer containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histone proteins.
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...
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The Nucleosome Core Particle02:10

The Nucleosome Core Particle

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Nucleosomes are the DNA-histone complex, where the DNA strand is wound around the histone core. The histone core is an octamer containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histone proteins.
The paradox
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The Nucleosome01:19

The Nucleosome

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Human DNA is almost two meters long. However, it is compressed inside a tiny nucleus measuring only a few microns in diameter. To make this degree of compaction possible, DNA is organized into several sequential levels so that it can fit into such a tiny space. The most compact form of DNA is a chromosome that can be seen under a microscope in a dividing cell.
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The Nucleosome02:33

The Nucleosome

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DNA in a human cell is almost 2m long and it is packed inside a tiny nucleus that is only a few microns in diameter. The level of compaction of DNA inside the nucleus is astonishing. It is organized into several sequentially higher levels of compaction to fit into such a tiny space. The most compact form of DNA is a chromosome that can be seen under a microscope in a dividing cell.
DNA is wound twice around a protein complex called histone core, that consist of 8 histone proteins. This complex...
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Site Specific Lysine Acetylation of Histones for Nucleosome Reconstitution using Genetic Code Expansion in Escherichia coli
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Site Specific Lysine Acetylation of Histones for Nucleosome Reconstitution using Genetic Code Expansion in Escherichia coli

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Synthetic histone code.

Wolfgang Fischle1, Henning D Mootz2, Dirk Schwarzer3

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.

Current Opinion in Chemical Biology
|August 11, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Designer chromatin, created using advanced protein chemistry, allows scientists to precisely study the histone code and its role in gene regulation. This technology offers new tools for understanding chromatin biochemistry.

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Area of Science:

  • Chemical Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Chromatin, a complex of DNA and histone proteins, packages genomes and regulates gene expression in eukaryotic cells.
  • Posttranslational histone modifications are hypothesized to form a 'histone code' dictating chromatin states.
  • Understanding this code is crucial for deciphering gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review methods for creating designer chromatin with defined histone modifications.
  • To highlight the utility of these methods in studying chromatin biochemistry and the histone code.
  • To summarize recent advancements in the field of chemical biology for chromatin research.

Main Methods:

  • Protein semisynthesis
  • Amber suppression technology
  • Cysteine bioconjugation

Main Results:

  • These chemical biology techniques enable the generation of designer chromatin with homogeneous and defined histone modification states.
  • The developed methods have advanced from proof-of-concept to efficient tools for biochemical studies.
  • These tools facilitate the interrogation of the histone code and chromatin regulation.

Conclusions:

  • Designer chromatin generated through advanced chemical biology methods provides powerful tools for investigating the histone code.
  • These technologies are instrumental in advancing our understanding of chromatin regulation and its impact on gene expression.
  • The field is rapidly evolving, offering exciting prospects for future research in chemical biology and molecular genetics.