title: Opening chromatin.
abstract: How the transcriptional apparatus gains access to and subsequently opens compacted chromatin has remained a mystery. Now in this issue of Molecular Cell, Zaret and coworkers show that chromatin opening in vitro is not mediated by the classical chromatin remodeling machines but instead occurs through specific transcription factor-histone interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lomvardas
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thanos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D004707:Endoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D005326:Fetal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D051541:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha; D006657:Histones / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000502:physiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005326:Fetal Proteins; C496500:Foxa1 protein, mouse; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D051541:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 3-alpha; D006657:Histones; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D009707:Nucleosomes; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014157:Transcription Factors