title: Archaeal chromatin proteins: different structures but common function?
abstract: Chromatin proteins promote chromosome flexibility in vivo, maintaining a compact yet decondensed template that permits polymerase accessibility. All Archaea have at least two types of chromatin proteins, and diversity in the chromatin protein population appears to prevent polymerization of a single type of protein. Of the numerous chromatin proteins that have been described in Archaea, only two--histones and Alba homologs--are present in all archaeal phyla. Although their structures and complexes with DNA have no similarities, their functions probably overlap as mutants that lack single chromatin proteins are viable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, 484W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. sandman.1@osu.edu
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sandman
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Reeve
mesh_terms: D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D016944:Sulfolobus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006657:Histones; C444360:Sso10b protein, Sulfolobus solfataricus