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Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Chromatin Modifications: Readers, Writers and Erasers Enzymes; Protein Barriers
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Overcoming chromatin barriers.

Babette E de Jong1, John van Noort1

  • 1Biological and Soft Matter Physics, Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands.

Elife
|September 14, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Single-molecule experiments precisely track transcription dynamics through nucleosomes. This provides unprecedented single-base-pair resolution of DNA-protein interactions during gene expression.

Keywords:
E. coliepigenetic modificationshigh-resolution optical tweezershistone ubiquitinationhistone variant H2A.Zhumanmolecular biophysicsnucleosome transcriptionstructural biologytranscription regulationxenopus

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Nucleosomes are fundamental units of DNA packaging in eukaryotes.
  • Transcription through nucleosomes presents a significant barrier to gene expression.
  • Understanding these dynamics is crucial for regulating gene activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the step-by-step process of transcription through a nucleosome.
  • To achieve single-base-pair resolution of the transcription process.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which RNA polymerase navigates nucleosomal structures.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized advanced single-molecule force spectroscopy.
  • Employed optical tweezers to manipulate DNA and nucleosomes.
  • Monitored transcription factor movement with high precision.

Main Results:

  • Observed distinct intermediate states during transcription through nucleosomes.
  • Quantified the forces involved in DNA unwrapping and re-wrapping.
  • Identified specific pausing sites and backtrack events with single-base-pair accuracy.

Conclusions:

  • Single-molecule experiments offer unparalleled resolution for studying transcription-nucleosome interactions.
  • The findings provide a detailed mechanistic model for transcription passage.
  • This work advances our understanding of gene regulation at the single-molecule level.