Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026
08:16
In Vitro Characterization of Histone Chaperones using Analytical, Pull-Down and Chaperoning Assays
Published on: December 29, 2021
3.2K
Tails of a Super Histone
Patrick Sin-Chan1, Iqra Mumal2, Annie Huang3
1Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, Department of Pediatrics/Division of Haematology/Oncology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G1X8, Canada.
Cancer Cell
|January 16, 2019
Summary
Diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas (DIPGs) are lethal childhood cancers. A new study uses a mouse model to uncover how the K27M mutation drives DIPG development, offering new insights into this deadly disease.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pediatric Cancer Research
- Genetics
Background:
- Diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas (DIPGs) are aggressive pediatric brain tumors.
- The K27M mutation in histone H3.3 is a hallmark of DIPG, but its precise role in tumor formation is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms of K27M-mediated transformation in DIPG.
- To utilize a novel murine model for studying DIPG pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Development and application of a unique murine model with inducible, endogenous K27M expression.
- In vivo studies to observe tumor development and progression.
Main Results:
- The study reveals key insights into how the K27M mutation drives DIPG.
- Demonstration of K27M-mediated transformation in a relevant preclinical model.
Conclusions:
- The findings provide a deeper understanding of DIPG biology.
- This research may pave the way for new therapeutic strategies targeting K27M-driven pediatric brain tumors.
Related Concept Videos
02:32Histone Modification
16.1K
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...
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
16.1K
02:32Histone Modification
4.5K
4.5K
02:30Histone Variants at the Centromere
5.0K
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...
5.0K
01:37Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy
14.5K
Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been...
14.5K
01:45Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
3.8K
Tail-anchored, or TA, proteins are estimated to make up to 3-5% of membrane proteins found in the eukaryotic cell. Such proteins have a single transmembrane domain located approximately 30 amino acid residues upstream from the C-terminal end. As a result, the signal recognition particle (SRP) cannot guide a TA protein to the ER membrane for cotranslational insertion. Hence, they are integrated into the ER membrane post-translationally using their C-terminal end as the anchor. TA proteins...
3.8K
02:33The Nucleosome
18.7K
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...
DNA is wound twice around a protein complex called histone core, that consist of 8 histone proteins. This complex...
18.7K