Molecular mechanisms involved in bacterial chromatin organization

Advances in high resolution microscopy techniques and development of high throughput DNA analyses allow to reconsider the views concerning bacterial chromosome (nucleoid). Recent reports show that nucleoid exhibits a hierarchical organization, similarly to the eukaryotic chromatin. However, bacterial chromosome undergoes constant modifications and topological rearrangements due to the ongoing DNA replication, transcription and translation processes. Organization of dynamic and highly compacted nucleoid structure depends on physical factors acting on chromosome molecule inside small cell compartment, and is a consequence of action of many different DNA-binding proteins. The main goal of this review is to present the recent reports on bacterial chromatin structure and to elucidate the physical and molecular factors influencing its intracellular organization.