DNA topology in heterochromatin (a hypothesis).
A hypothesis explaining the known heterochromatin features--a compact DNA packaging, transcriptional inactivity, propensity to aggregate (stickiness) and position effect variegation-is described. The hypothesis is based on the assumption that DNA molecules in heterochromatin are topologically open and contain single-strand breaks in the regions with identical or similar primary sequences.
Gruzdev
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AD
Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia. gruzdev@bionet.nsc.ru
D000818:Animals; D019457:Chromosome Breakage; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D004261:DNA Replication; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D008677:Metaphase
D006570:Heterochromatin; D004247:DNA