The albumin gene: DNA-protein interaction

A carbohydrate-rich, fat-free diet dramatically alters the higher-order chromatin structure of rat liver nuclei. In addition, the mRNA level of the phenotypic protein of liver, albumin, is reduced. Within 200 base pairs of the initiation site of the albumin mRNA, a histone H1-binding site has been mapped. Histone H1 is the higher-order architectural protein of chromosomes. The presence of H1 with nucleosomes that package albumin gene sequences implies the presence of H1 in template-active chromatin. The role histone H1 has on the architecture of active genes may be a fundamental level of gene regulation.