title: HMGNs: The enhancer charmers.
abstract: The DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) of chromatin constitute one of the best landmarks of eukaryotic genes that are poised and/or activated for transcription. For over 35 years, the high-mobility group nucleosome-binding chromosomal proteins HMGN1 and HMGN2 have been shown to play a role in the establishment of these chromatin-accessible domains at transcriptional regulatory elements, namely promoters and enhancers. The critical presence of HMGNs at enhancers, as highlighted by a recent publication, suggests a role for them in the structural and functional fine-tuning of the DHSs in vertebrates. As we review here, while preferentially out-competing histone H1 binding and invading neighbor nucleosomes, HMGNs may also modulate histone H3 at serine 10 (H3S10ph), which plays an important role in enhancer function and transcriptional initiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Alexia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez de Paz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ausió
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D024001:HMGN Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D024001:HMGN Proteins
keywords: DNase I hypersensitive sites; chromatin; enhancers; high mobility group nucleosome-binding proteins; transcription