Translating the histone code.
Chromatin, the physiological template of all eukaryotic genetic information, is subject to a diverse array of posttranslational modifications that largely impinge on histone amino termini, thereby regulating access to the underlying DNA. Distinct histone amino-terminal modifications can generate synergistic or antagonistic interaction affinities for chromatin-associated proteins, which in turn dictate dynamic transitions between transcriptionally active or transcriptionally silent chromatin states. The combinatorial nature of histone amino-terminal modifications thus reveals a "histone code" that considerably extends the information potential of the genetic code. We propose that this epigenetic marking system represents a fundamental regulatory mechanism that has an impact on most, if not all, chromatin-templated processes, with far-reaching consequences for cell fate decisions and both normal and pathological development.
Jenuwein
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Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) at the Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 7, A-1030 Vienna, Austria. jenuwein@nt.imp.univie.ac.at
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D000107:Acetylation; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008745:Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones