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Related Concept Videos

Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

Histone Variants at the Centromere

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Histone variants are the histone proteins with structural and sequence variations. These variants may be regarded as “mutant” forms that replace their canonical histone counterparts in the nucleosomes. Specific post-translational modifications on the histone variants enable further chromatin complexity and regulate tissue-specific gene expression. The most common histone variants are from histone H2A, H2B, and linker histone H1 families. However, several variants of histone H3...
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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
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Histone Modification02:32

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Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

Spreading of Chromatin Modifications

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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...
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Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

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Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
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The Nucleosome Core Particle01:12

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

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Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins
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Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

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Critical histone post-translational modifications for centromere function and propagation.

Tatsuo Fukagawa1

  • 1a Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences , Osaka University , Suita , Osaka , Japan.

Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|June 10, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Centromeres, essential for cell division, rely on special histone proteins like CENP-A to form unique chromatin. Histone modifications within this

Keywords:
CENP-Acentromerehistone modificationkinetochore

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Complete Workflow for Analysis of Histone Post-translational Modifications Using Bottom-up Mass Spectrometry: From Histone Extraction to Data Analysis
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Area of Science:

  • * Molecular Biology
  • * Genetics
  • * Epigenetics

Background:

  • * The centromere is a crucial genomic locus for accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis.
  • * Centromere identity is established by the histone H3 variant CENP-A, forming specialized nucleosomes.
  • * Centromeric chromatin, or 'centrochromatin,' is a composite structure of CENP-A and canonical H3 nucleosomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To review the functional roles of histone modifications in centrochromatin formation and function.
  • * To elucidate how histone modifications mediate centromere specification and kinetochore assembly.
  • * To discuss recent progress in understanding centrochromatin using chicken centromeres as a model.

Main Methods:

  • * Review of recent studies on histone modifications in centromeric chromatin.
  • * Utilizing chicken non-repetitive centromeres as a model system.
  • * Characterization of functional features of centrochromatin.

Main Results:

  • * Centrochromatin comprises both CENP-A and H3 nucleosomes with distinct predicted features.
  • * Specific histone modifications are implicated in centromere specification and kinetochore assembly.
  • * Chicken centromeres provide a valuable model for studying centromeric activities.

Conclusions:

  • * Histone modifications play a critical role in defining centromere identity and function.
  • * The unique structure of centrochromatin is essential for faithful chromosome segregation.
  • * Further research on histone modifications in centrochromatin will advance our understanding of cell division.