Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control

Most of eukaryotic DNA is embedded into nucleosome arrays formed by DNA wrapped around a core histone octamer. Nucleosome is a fundamental repeating unit of chromatin guarding access to the genetic information. Here, I will discuss two facets of nucleosome in eukaryotic gene control. On the one hand...

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Main Author: Yuri M. Moshkin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIMS Press 2015-09-01
Series:AIMS Biophysics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.aimspress.com/biophysics/article/443/fulltext.html
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author Yuri M. Moshkin
author_facet Yuri M. Moshkin
author_sort Yuri M. Moshkin
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description Most of eukaryotic DNA is embedded into nucleosome arrays formed by DNA wrapped around a core histone octamer. Nucleosome is a fundamental repeating unit of chromatin guarding access to the genetic information. Here, I will discuss two facets of nucleosome in eukaryotic gene control. On the one hand, nucleosome acts as a regulatory unit, which controls gene switches through a set of post-translational modifications occurring on histone tails. On the other hand, global configuration of nucleosome arrays with respect to nucleosome positioning, spacing and turnover acts as a tuning parameter for all genomic functions. A “histone code” hypothesis extents the Jacob-Monod model for eukaryotic gene control; however, when considering factors capable of reconfiguring entire nucleosome array, such as ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers, this model becomes limited. Global changes in nucleosome arrays will be sensed by every gene, yet the transcriptional responses might be specific and appear as gene targeted events. What determines such specificity is unclear, but it’s likely to depend on initial gene settings, such as availability of transcription factors, and on configuration of new nucleosome array state.
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spelling doaj.art-2e8aca029ded4ef5befcb5b799d313142022-12-22T02:08:05ZengAIMS PressAIMS Biophysics2377-90982015-09-012453155410.3934/biophy.2015.4.531201504531Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene controlYuri M. MoshkinMost of eukaryotic DNA is embedded into nucleosome arrays formed by DNA wrapped around a core histone octamer. Nucleosome is a fundamental repeating unit of chromatin guarding access to the genetic information. Here, I will discuss two facets of nucleosome in eukaryotic gene control. On the one hand, nucleosome acts as a regulatory unit, which controls gene switches through a set of post-translational modifications occurring on histone tails. On the other hand, global configuration of nucleosome arrays with respect to nucleosome positioning, spacing and turnover acts as a tuning parameter for all genomic functions. A “histone code” hypothesis extents the Jacob-Monod model for eukaryotic gene control; however, when considering factors capable of reconfiguring entire nucleosome array, such as ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers, this model becomes limited. Global changes in nucleosome arrays will be sensed by every gene, yet the transcriptional responses might be specific and appear as gene targeted events. What determines such specificity is unclear, but it’s likely to depend on initial gene settings, such as availability of transcription factors, and on configuration of new nucleosome array state.http://www.aimspress.com/biophysics/article/443/fulltext.htmlDNAnucleosomechromatinnucleosome positioninghistone codegene control
spellingShingle Yuri M. Moshkin
Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control
AIMS Biophysics
DNA
nucleosome
chromatin
nucleosome positioning
histone code
gene control
title Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control
title_full Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control
title_fullStr Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control
title_full_unstemmed Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control
title_short Chromatin—a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control
title_sort chromatin a global buffer for eukaryotic gene control
topic DNA
nucleosome
chromatin
nucleosome positioning
histone code
gene control
url http://www.aimspress.com/biophysics/article/443/fulltext.html
work_keys_str_mv AT yurimmoshkin chromatinaglobalbufferforeukaryoticgenecontrol