Histone acetylation: facts and questions.
The DNA of eukaryotic cells is organized in a complex with proteins, either as interphase chromatin or mitotic chromosomes. Nucleosomes, the structural subunits of chromatin, have long been considered as static structures, incompatible with processes occurring in chromatin. During the past few years it has become evident that the histone part of the nucleosome has important regulatory functions. Some of these functions are mediated by the N-terminal core histone domains which contain sites for posttranslational modifications, among them lysine residues for reversible acetylation. Recent results indicate that acetylation and deacetylation of N-terminal lysines of nucleosomal core histones represent a means of molecular communication between chromatin and the cellular signal transduction network, resulting in heritable epigenetic information. Data on enzymes involved in acetylation and the pattern of acetylated lysine sites on chromosomes, as well as genetic data on yeast transcriptional repression, suggest that acetylation may lead to structural transitions as well as specific signalling within distinct chromatin domains.
Loidl
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Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck-Medical School, Austria.
D000107:Acetylation; D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D006655:Histone Deacetylases / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction
D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D006655:Histone Deacetylases; D008239:Lysine