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Related Concept Videos

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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The Nucleosome02:33

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The Nucleosome01:19

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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 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.
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Nucleosome Remodeling02:54

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Nucleosomes are the basic units of chromatin compaction. Each nucleosome consists of the DNA bound tightly around a histone core, which makes the DNA inaccessible to DNA binding proteins such as DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase. Hence, the fundamental problem is to ensure access to DNA when appropriate, despite the compact and protective chromatin structure.
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Structure and Physical Properties of Alkynes02:37

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Introduction:
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Probing The Structure And Dynamics Of Nucleosomes Using Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging
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Probing The Structure And Dynamics Of Nucleosomes Using Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging

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The nucleosome: from structure to function through physics.

Alexey V Onufriev1, Helmut Schiessel2

  • 1Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Department of Physics, Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.

Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|February 3, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Physics principles explain how DNA compacts into nucleosomes. Nucleosome structure and function, including DNA accessibility, are influenced by histone charges and DNA elasticity, crucial for genetic material organization.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Eukaryotic cells package extensive DNA within small nuclei.
  • Nucleosomes, composed of histone proteins and DNA, are the primary DNA compaction units.
  • Understanding nucleosome structure is key to controlling genetic material access.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate how basic physics principles explain nucleosome structure and function.
  • To highlight the role of physics-based models in understanding DNA compaction.
  • To illustrate the impact of physical properties on nucleosome organization and DNA accessibility.

Main Methods:

  • Application of physics principles to analyze nucleosome structure.
  • Utilizing physics-based tools and models for investigation.
  • Examining the influence of histone core charges and DNA properties.

Main Results:

  • Nucleosome stability and DNA accessibility are sensitive to histone core charges, modifiable by post-translational modifications.
  • Nucleosome positioning is dictated by DNA sequence-dependent shape and elasticity.
  • Interactions within nucleosome arrays are governed by electrostatics.

Conclusions:

  • Basic physics principles offer a powerful framework for understanding nucleosome structure and function.
  • Physical properties of DNA and histones are critical determinants of genome organization.
  • Physics-based insights are essential for comprehending genetic material regulation.