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Related Concept Videos

Heterochromatin02:38

Heterochromatin

11.8K
The extent of chromatin compaction can be studied by staining chromatin using specific DNA binding dyes. Under the microscope, the dense-compacted regions that take up more dye are called heterochromatin. Heterochromatin is further classified into two forms – constitutive heterochromatin and facultative heterochromatin.
Constitutive heterochromatin: It is a highly compact region of chromatin that is mostly concentrated in the centromere and telomere. Unlike euchromatin, the amino acid at...
11.8K
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

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In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
6.3K
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

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The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
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Euchromatin01:01

Euchromatin

6.8K
The extent of chromatin compaction can be studied by staining chromatin using specific DNA binding dyes. Under the microscope, the dense-compacted regions take up more dye, appearing darker, while the less-compact areas take up less dye and appear lighter. Based on the compaction level, chromatins are classified into two primary forms – euchromatin and heterochromatin.
Euchromatin is the less dense region of the chromatin and stains lighter. Euchromatin contains histone H3 extensively...
6.8K
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

Spreading of Chromatin Modifications

8.2K
The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
The writer...
8.2K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

6.2K
Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
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A Screening Method for Identification of Heterochromatin-Promoting Drugs Using Drosophila
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A Screening Method for Identification of Heterochromatin-Promoting Drugs Using Drosophila

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Prevalent Fast Evolution of Genes Involved in Heterochromatin Functions.

Leila Lin1, Yuheng Huang1, Jennifer McIntyre1

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.

Molecular Biology and Evolution
|August 27, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Genes regulating heterochromatin evolve rapidly, unlike those in Polycomb-based chromatin. This fast evolution, driven by selection, is linked to heterochromatin

Keywords:
arms raceheterochromatinpositive selectionprotein evolutionrepetitive sequencestransposable elements

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Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Heterochromatin, a gene-poor and repeat-rich genomic region, is crucial for genome stability, chromosome organization, and suppressing transposable elements.
  • Despite its importance, some genes involved in heterochromatin regulation show rapid evolution, contrasting with the expectation of high conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary patterns of genes involved in heterochromatin functions across different evolutionary timescales in Drosophila.
  • To determine if rapid evolution is a general feature of heterochromatin-related genes compared to other chromatin regulators.

Main Methods:

  • Compiled a comprehensive list of 106 candidate genes associated with heterochromatin functions.
  • Analyzed evolutionary changes, including amino acid substitutions and gene copy number variations, in these genes.
  • Compared evolutionary rates with genes involved in Polycomb-based repressive chromatin.

Main Results:

  • Genes regulating heterochromatin exhibit significantly more frequent evolutionary changes (amino acid substitutions, gene copy number changes) than those involved in Polycomb-based repressive chromatin.
  • Both structured domains and intrinsically disordered regions of these proteins are subject to positive selection, while purifying selection may preserve disordered regions.
  • A negative association was observed between the evolutionary rate of these genes and the genomic abundance of transposable elements.

Conclusions:

  • The rapid evolution of heterochromatin-associated genes is an inherent consequence of heterochromatin's unique functions.
  • The study proposes a model where rapid transposable element evolution might be an effect, not a cause, of heterochromatin gene evolution.
  • Provides a broad perspective on the evolution of heterochromatin-related genes and factors influencing their distinct evolutionary trajectories.