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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Assembly of Nucleosomal Arrays from Recombinant Core Histones and Nucleosome Positioning DNA
Published on: September 10, 2013
Effects of histone H2B ubiquitylation on the nucleosome structure and dynamics
Wladyslaw A Krajewski1,2, Jiabin Li3, Yali Dou2
1N.K. Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova Str. 26, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
Abstract:
DNA in nucleosomes has restricted nucleosome dynamics and is refractory to DNA-templated processes. Histone post-translational modifications play important roles in regulating DNA accessibility in nucleosomes. Whereas most histone modifications function either by mitigating the electrostatic shielding of histone tails or by recruiting 'reader' proteins, we show that ubiquitylation of H2B K34, which is located in a tight space protected by two coils of DNA superhelix, is able to directly influence the canonical nucleosome conformation via steric hindrances by ubiquitin groups. H2B K34 ubiquitylation significantly enhances nucleosome dynamics and promotes generation of hexasomes both with symmetrically or asymmetrically modified nucleosomes. Our results indicate a direct mechanism by which a histone modification regulates the chromatin structural states.
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