title: How does chromatin package DNA within nucleus and regulate gene expression?
abstract: The human body is made up of 60 trillion cells, each cell containing 2 millions of genomic DNA in its nucleus. How is this genomic deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] organised into nuclei? Around 1880, W. Flemming discovered a nuclear substance that was clearly visible on staining under primitive light microscopes and named it 'chromatin'; this is now thought to be the basic unit of genomic DNA organization. Since long before DNA was known to carry genetic information, chromatin has fascinated biologists. DNA has a negatively charged phosphate backbone that produces electrostatic repulsion between adjacent DNA regions, making it difficult for DNA to fold upon itself. In this article, we will try to shed light on how does chromatin package DNA within nucleus and regulate gene expression?
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 9004, Saudi Arabia; Applied Research Sector, Egyptian Organization for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA Holding Company), 51 Wezaret El-Zeraa St., Agouza, Giza, Egypt. Electronic address: aefazary@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fazary
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, 43 Keelung Rd., Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Hsu
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 9004, Saudi Arabia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hisham S M
authors.initials: HSM
authors.lastname: Abd-Rabboh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004247:DNA
keywords: Chromatin structure; DNA packaging; Gene expression; Genomic organization