title: Chromatin fiber dynamics under tension and torsion.
abstract: Genetic and epigenetic information in eukaryotic cells is carried on chromosomes, basically consisting of large compact supercoiled chromatin fibers. Micromanipulations have recently led to great advances in the knowledge of the complex mechanisms underlying the regulation of DNA transaction events by nucleosome and chromatin structural changes. Indeed, magnetic and optical tweezers have allowed opportunities to handle single nucleosomal particles or nucleosomal arrays and measure their response to forces and torques, mimicking the molecular constraints imposed in vivo by various molecular motors acting on the DNA. These challenging technical approaches provide us with deeper understanding of the way chromatin dynamically packages our genome and participates in the regulation of cellular metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Research Institute, CNRS USR, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. christophe.lavelle@iri.univ-lille1.fr <christophe.lavelle@iri.univ-lille1.fr>
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavelle
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Victor
authors.forename: Jordanka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zlatanova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D052898:Optical Tweezers
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D009707:Nucleosomes; D004247:DNA