Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026
10:41
An Integrated Platform for Genome-wide Mapping of Chromatin States Using High-throughput ChIP-sequencing in Tumor Tissues
Published on: April 5, 2018
Inheritance of chromatin states
1Laboratory of Molecular Embryology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Developmental Genetics
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Chromatin packaging regulates gene transcription and inheritance. Stable histone-DNA interactions during replication are key to maintaining these chromatin states, influencing gene activity.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and Molecular Biology
- Chromatin Biology
- Gene Regulation
Background:
- Eukaryotic chromosome packaging influences gene transcription and epigenetic state propagation.
- Multiple factors, including transcription factors, histone modifications, and DNA methylation, are involved in regulating gene activity.
- These factors can potentially propagate their interactions with DNA after replication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms by which chromatin states are propagated through DNA replication.
- To understand the roles of various molecular players in maintaining transcriptional permissivity or restriction.
- To explore the central role of histone-DNA interactions in chromatin state inheritance.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of X chromosome inactivation as a model system.
- Investigating the stability and formation of histone-DNA interactions during replication.
- Exploring the supporting roles of other molecular mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests that stable histone-DNA interactions through replication are central to chromatin state inheritance.
- Other molecular mechanisms appear to play supporting roles in this process.
- X chromosome inactivation provides insights into the propagation of chromatin states.
Conclusions:
- Stable histone-DNA interactions are crucial for the inheritance of chromatin states.
- Future research aims to reconstruct chromatin state propagation in vitro.
- Understanding replication fork events in detail will elucidate chromatin inheritance mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
02:32Histone Modification
The histone proteins have a flexible N-terminal tail extending out from the nucleosome. These histone tails are often subjected to post-translational modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Particular combinations of these modifications form “histone codes” that influence the chromatin folding and tissue-specific gene expression.
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
03:17Inheritance of Chromatin Structures
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 DNA...
01:01Euchromatin
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...
Euchromatin is the less dense region of the chromatin and stains lighter. Euchromatin contains histone H3 extensively...
02:38Heterochromatin
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 9th...
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 9th...
02:38Heterochromatin
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 9th...
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 9th...
02:32Histone Modification
The histone proteins have a flexible N-terminal tail extending out from the nucleosome. These histone tails are often subjected to post-translational modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Particular combinations of these modifications form “histone codes” that influence the chromatin folding and tissue-specific gene expression.
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...