title: Models for chromatin remodeling: a critical comparison.
abstract: Nucleosome remodeling has been shown, in many cases, to involve cis displacement of nucleosomes on the DNA. This process seems similar to the long-recognized random diffusion of nucleosomes along DNA, but the remodeling process is unidirectional and ATP dependent. Several years ago, we developed a model for nucleosome migration, based on the diffusion of "twist-defects" within the nucleosomal DNA. This has been modified into a model that incorporates ATP-dependent defect generation, and can account for many observations concerning remodeling. However, certain experimental studies in recent years have cast doubt on the applicability of the twist-diffusion model for remodeling, and seem to favor instead a "reptation" model. We discuss herein these problems and propose a resolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van Holde
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yager
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001665:Binding Sites; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004247:DNA