How does Pol II overcome the nucleosome barrier?
DNA packaging into chromatin presents a strong barrier to RNA polymerase II transcription. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Kireeva et al. describe a minimal system to examine polymerase II transcription through a positioned nucleosome and show, surprisingly, that transcription leads to the displacement of an H2A.H2B dimer from the nucleosome without altering nucleosome position.
Adelman
Karen
K
Department of Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Lis
John T
JT
D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*
D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA; D012319:RNA Polymerase II