Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

High resolution microanalysis and three-dimensional nucleosome structure associated with transcribing chromatin

G J Czarnota1, D P Bazett-Jones, E Mendez

  • 1Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Canada.

Micron (Oxford, England : 1993)
|March 31, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Active nucleosomes exhibit an open clam-shell structure, revealing DNA conformational changes linked to gene expression. This study visualizes nucleosome DNA using phosphorus mapping, offering insights into chromatin regulation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Risk factors for postpartum prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in women with gestational diabetes: insights from the edugest study in Argentina.

Endocrine·2025
Same author

Perioperative transfusion management in craniotomies: A national survey, a starting point for the evaluation of improvements in health care.

Revista espanola de anestesiologia y reanimacion..·2024
Same author

Uric acid and acute kidney injury in high-risk patients for developing acute kidney injury undergoing cardiac surgery: A prospective multicenter study.

Revista espanola de anestesiologia y reanimacion·2024
Same author

Uncovering the armpit of SBRT: An institutional experience with stereotactic radiation of axillary metastases.

Clinical and translational radiation oncology·2024
Same author

Pre-operative optimisation with intravenous iron in cardiac surgery: some considerations.

Anaesthesia·2021
Same author

Computer aided prognosis for cell death categorization and prediction in vivo using quantitative ultrasound and machine learning techniques.

Medical physics·2016

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Chromatin Structure

Background:

  • Nucleosomes are fundamental DNA-protein complexes in eukaryotic chromosomes, crucial for DNA packaging and gene expression regulation.
  • Previous biophysical studies suggested structural changes in nucleosomes correlate with transcriptional activity (quiescent vs. active chromatin).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the 3D structure of active nucleosomes and their DNA conformation.
  • To establish a direct structural link between nucleosome conformation and gene expression states.

Main Methods:

  • Separation of active and quiescent nucleosomes using mercury-affinity chromatography.
  • Three-dimensional image reconstruction combining electron spectroscopic imaging and quaternion-assisted angular reconstitution.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Microanalytical electron energy loss mapping of phosphorus to delineate DNA distribution within nucleosomes.

    • Main Results:

    • Active nucleosomes adopt an open clam-shell conformation, appearing C- or U-shaped and elongated, with notable protein asymmetry.
    • Three-dimensional phosphorus mapping revealed altered DNA superhelicity and unfolding in active nucleosomes compared to canonical structures.
    • These structural changes in nucleosomal DNA are directly correlated with transcriptional activity.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides a detailed 3D structural model of active nucleosomes, highlighting conformational DNA changes.
    • The findings establish a direct structural basis for the biochemical and physiological alterations observed during gene expression.
    • This work advances our understanding of chromatin dynamics and gene regulation at the molecular level.