title: DNA methylation increases nucleosome compaction and rigidity.
abstract: Cytosine methylation on CpG dinucleotides is an essential epigenetic modification in eukaryotes. How DNA methylation modulates nucleosome structure and dynamics has been a long-standing question. We implemented a single-molecule method to monitor the effects of DNA methylation on the structure and dynamics of mononucleosomes. Our studies show that DNA methylation induces a more compact and rigid nucleosome structure, providing a physical basis for how DNA methylation might contribute to regulating chromatin structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Bio-X Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.forename: Sijie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ju Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Tae-Hee
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D018899:CpG Islands; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA