Linker histone binding and displacement: versatile mechanism for transcriptional regulation.
In recent years, the connection between chromatin structure and its transcriptional activity has attracted considerable experimental effort. The post-translational modifications to both the core histones and the linker histones are finely tuned through interactions with transcriptional regulators and change chromatin structure in a way to allow transcription to occur. Here we review evidence for the involvement of linker histones in transcriptional regulation and suggest a scenario in which the reversible and controllable binding/displacement of proteins of this class to the nucleosome entry/exit point determine the accessibility of the nucleosomal DNA to the transcriptional machinery.
Zlatanova
J
J
Biochip Technology Center, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4833, USA. zlatanoj@everest.bim.an1.gov
Caiafa
P
P
Van Holde
K
K
D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000235:genetics; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000235:genetics; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA