Chromatin structural transitions in Drosophila embryo cell-free extract result in a high conformational flexibility of nucleosomal DNA.
DNA within chromatin has considerably more restricted flexibility in comparison with naked DNA. This raises the main question of how the functioning multi-enzyme complexes overcome the nucleosomal level of DNA packaging. We studied the DNA conformational flexibility of reconstituted chromatin in a cell-free system derived from Drosophila embryo extracts. Using this system, we have found evidence for a energy-independent chromatin remodelling process that efficiently destabilizes the nucleosome structure resulting in a high conformational flexibility of nucleosomal DNA. The described chromatin remodelling process may lay on the basis of defined molecular principles governing the molecular heterogeneity of chromatin structures in vivo.
Krajewski
W A
WA
Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. krajewsk@ibrran.msk.su
D000818:Animals; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002843:Chromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA