Switching on chromatin: mechanistic role of histone H4-K16 acetylation.
How post-translational histone modifications regulate DNA utilization constitutes one of the central questions of chromatin biology. In studying the mechanistic role of histone H4-K16 acetylation, a mark with a functional role in maintaining transcriptionally permissive DNA domains or directly promoting gene transcription, we found that this acetylation both disrupts higher-order chromatin structure and changes the functional interaction of chromatin-associated proteins. The potential significance of this finding for in vivo chromatin structure, establishment of euchromatic domains, and promotion of gene transcription is examined.
Shogren-Knaak
Michael
M
Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. knaak@iastate.edu
Peterson
Craig L
CL
D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011485:Protein Binding; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones