Nuclear architecture: Is it important for genome function and can we prove it?
Gene regulation in higher eukaryotes has been shown to involve regulatory sites, such as promoters and enhancers which act at the level of individual genes, and mechanisms which control the functional state of gene clusters. A fundamental question is whether additional levels of genome control exist. Nuclear organization and large-scale chromatin structure may constitute such a level and play an important role in the cell-type specific orchestration of the expression of thousands of genes in eukaryotic cells. Numerous observations indicate a tight correlation between genome activity and nuclear and large-scale chromatin structure. However, causal relationships are rare. Here we explore how these might be uncovered.
Mateos-Langerak
Julio
J
Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Goetze
Sandra
S
Leonhardt
Heinrich
H
Cremer
Thomas
T
van Driel
Roel
R
Lanctôt
Christian
C
D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015530:Nuclear Matrix / Q000378:metabolism