In vitro chromatin self-association and its relevance to genome architecture.
Chromatin in a eukaryotic nucleus is condensed through 3 hierarchies: primary, secondary, and tertiary chromatin structures. In vitro, when induced with cations, chromatin can self-associate and form large oligomers. This self-association process has been proposed to mimic processes involved in the assembly and maintenance of tertiary chromatin structures in vivo. In this article, we review 30 years of studies of chromatin self-association, with an emphasis on the evidence suggesting that this in vitro process is physiologically relevant.
Lu
Xu
X
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1870, USA. luxu@lamar.colostate.edu
Klonoski
Joshua M
JM
Resch
Michael G
MG
Hansen
Jeffrey C
JC
D000818:Animals; D002412:Cations; D002645:Chickens; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016678:Genome / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
D002412:Cations; D002843:Chromatin