Articles tagged with Nucleosomes
A mathematical analysis has led to a formula describing the movement of DNA inside living human cells, enabling researchers to study the 3D architecture of the genome. The findings provide key insights into how genes are accessed by cellular machinery.
A new study reveals how immune cells access specific genes to fight inflammation and infections, using the cellular snowplow mechanism. The researchers found that nucleosome remodelers clear away blizzards of nucleosomes, allowing genes to be expressed.
Core proteins partially disassemble to facilitate gene activation, according to Rice University researchers. Their detailed models support the idea that DNA unwrapping and core protein unfolding are coupled, with histone tails playing a crucial role in nucleosome stability.
Researchers from Penn School of Medicine shed light on how DNA sequences called enhancers govern gene activity, influencing which genes are 'on' or 'off' in each type of cell. They found that pioneer factors help expose DNA to regulatory proteins, allowing enhancers to activate genes and promote normal cell functions.
Researchers at UW Medicine developed a method to identify tissues contributing to cell-free DNA by analyzing fragmentation patterns, expanding the scope of liquid biopsies. This approach may aid in diagnosing unknown metastatic cancers and help guide treatment.
Scientists classify all gene promoters into two distinct types differing in nucleosome stability, with one type found at highly expressed growth-related genes and the other at less frequently expressed genes. The study reveals the role of dynamic nucleosomes in increasing access to promoter DNA for transcription initiation.
The study reveals how lysine acetylation in histone tails influences gene activity by altering their structure. This modification makes DNA molecules more accessible to effector proteins, leading to increased gene expression.
Scientists developed ICeChIP, a new technique to calibrate chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments with an internal standard. This improves accuracy and reproducibility in epigenetic studies, enabling comparisons between experiments and discovery of new findings, including the prevalence of bivalency in stem cells.
A new study by Penn researchers reveals how a special type of nucleosome, containing the protein CENP-A, is stabilized at the centromere during cell division. The presence of accessory protein CENP-C imparts stability to CENP-A molecules, ensuring proper chromosome separation.
Researchers found DNA uncoils asymmetrically from nucleosomes like a yoyo, affecting protein production and genetic mutations. This discovery reveals the importance of DNA flexibility in cellular processes.
Researchers used super-resolution microscopy to visualize genome packaging and found that nucleosomes are assembled in irregular groups across the chromatin. This study reveals a link between genome packaging and cell pluripotency, with more pluripotent stem cells having less dense nucleosome clutches.
A landmark study provides a detailed working image of the PRC1 enzyme in action on a chromosome unit, revealing previously unknown information about its interaction with nucleosomes. The research offers new paradigms for understanding how chromatin enzymes function and has implications for understanding cancer-related diseases.
Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have discovered a new mechanism of gene regulation that involves the modification of histones, leading to the activation of PARP1 and exposure of specific genes. This finding has significant implications for cancer treatment and may lead to the development of more effective therapies.
Chromosomes' characteristic shape is explained by self-organizing supramolecular structures formed by stacked layers of chromatin. The symmetry breaking due to different surface energies in telomeres and lateral surfaces justifies the elongated structure.
Researchers found that Cul4 modifies histone proteins to weaken their interaction with chaperones, leading to genomic instability and tumor formation. The study suggests that cancer cells may have evolved mechanisms to disrupt proper nucleosome assembly, affecting genome stability.
Researchers have gained a better understanding of how cells deal with DNA damage that can contribute to cancer and other diseases. The study identified new prospects for developing cancer therapies by targeting the protein nucleolin to enhance sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation or chemotherapies.
Scientists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München discovered a mechanism that allows chromosomal DNA to be locally displaced from nucleosomes for transcription. The FACT complex interacts with histone subunits and detaches stretches of packaged DNA from the nucleosome core, releasing it from its tight wrapping.
Researchers developed a basic computer model of the nucleosome to identify the sliding mechanism of nucleosomes along the DNA. This mechanism supports the idea of a second genetic code, previously suggested in 2006, which consists of a mechanical code written within the base pair sequence.
Researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have identified a new way in which the chromatin-remodeling enzyme ALC1 is activated. Through biochemical experiments, they found that ALC1's shape shifts in the presence of its activators PARP1 and NAD+, making it accessible to regulate gene transcription and DNA repair.
Recent studies from Northwestern University's Physical Sciences-Oncology Center report significant methodological advances in gene expression regulation. The breakthroughs enable better comprehension of gene transcription in both normal cells and cancer cells.
Researchers at Stowers Institute for Medical Research have developed a novel approach to count fluorescent molecules in a cluster, resolving the long-standing debate on centromere structure. By applying this method to yeast cells, they found that centromeric nucleosomes change their structure during cell division.
Researchers found that Chd1 protein regulates histone occupancy, enabling gene expression. In yeast cells, Chd1's absence impairs nucleosome reassembly and transcription.
Left-handed Z-DNA, normally only found at sites of DNA replication, can also form on nucleosomes, according to a new study. This discovery sheds light on the roles of chromosome remodeling and Z-DNA in regulating gene expression.
Researchers at Arizona State University have made new discoveries about the packaging of DNA in nucleosomes, revealing how genes are turned on and off. The study found that DNA unwrapping occurs rapidly around certain regions, allowing proteins to bind with specific target sites.
Researchers at Penn State University have developed a laboratory procedure that allows scientists to assemble and study the structure of entire chromosomes. The process reveals the construction of chromatin, a super-compressed marvel of molecular packaging that contains all an organism's DNA and associated proteins.
Researchers at Penn State University have created the first image of a protein interacting with DNA packed tightly into space-saving bundles. The discovery is expected to aid future investigations into diseases such as cancer and provide new insights into how cells regulate gene expression.
Biophysicists create model to describe nucleosome distribution around transcription start sites, showing that stop signals prevent nucleosome formation. The Tonks model explains the characteristic packing of DNA in cells, shedding light on gene expression and chromatin code.
A team of researchers will investigate how chromosomes untangle to expose genes that give cells their biological traits. They will tackle three independent projects: disassembling nucleosomes to reveal gene DNA, understanding protein facilitation of assembly and disassembly, and studying nucleosome movement in living yeast cells.
Researchers discovered how plants sense temperature changes by unwrapping their DNA; this discovery could lead to more resilient crops and help explain plant responses to climate change. The study used Arabidopsis thaliana and found that H2A.Z histones play a crucial role in temperature sensing.
Two LMU Munich researchers, Jens Michaelis and David Vöhringer, have received EU Starting Grants to study DNA rearrangement in the cell nucleus and immune factors essential to allergic sensitization. Their projects aim to understand complex cellular processes using cutting-edge microscopic techniques.
The Gerton Lab has determined the composition of centromeric chromatin in yeast cells, revealing an octameric structure composed of Cse4-containing nucleosomes. This discovery sheds light on mechanisms of centromere propagation and chromosome transmission, which are crucial for maintaining human health.
Researchers found that nucleosomes package protein coding parts of genes in humans and the roundworm C elegans. This mechanism enables genes to be used in different ways, contributing to human development.
Researchers have used innovative approaches to deduce the internal structure of chromatin, reconciling a decades-old controversy. The new finding could unlock the mystery behind cancer origins and other diseases. Chromatin's complex combination of DNA and proteins regulates genetic processes like DNA replication and transcription.
Researchers using optical tweezers directly observed protein machines encountering nucleosomes, leading to halting and backsliding movements. This study provides a detailed insight into the regulation of gene expression through dynamic interactions between proteins and DNA.
A Cornell research team mapped histone-DNA interactions in nucleosomes, gaining new understanding of how genes are packed and expressed. The study's findings could help uncover the effects of histone or DNA sequence changes on motor protein access to genetic information.
Researchers have discovered how a macromolecular machine unwinds DNA within cells, allowing genetic information to be read and used to direct protein synthesis. The structure of the RSC chromatin remodeling complex provides important insights into this critical process.
Researchers have mapped nucleosome organization along genes in Drosophila melanogaster, revealing a critical stop sign for transcription. This discovery highlights the importance of nucleosomes in regulating gene expression and has implications for developing effective anti-viral drugs against HIV.
The January issues of Biophysical Journal feature studies on the ultra-fast biological motion of Vorticella, which contracts like a spring, and sequence-dependent variations in nucleosome stability. Researchers also explore the biomechanical perspective of vesicle transport regulation in cells.
Researchers have created a three-dimensional map of the yeast genome, enabling them to locate nucleosomes and predict their behavior. This breakthrough could lead to early detection of diseases like cancer by identifying genes that are actively being converted into proteins.
A new study led by USC researchers identifies distinct changes in DNA structures that silence cancer cell genes. The findings enable the exploration of new therapies to switch genes back on, potentially leading to novel treatments for human cancers.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered that environmental changes can trigger dormant capacities in cells, allowing them to suddenly change their behavior. This phenomenon is made possible by the dynamic nature of nucleosomes and their ability to carry chemical modifications that control DNA expression.
Researchers have mapped nucleosome structures on a genome-wide scale, revealing an intimate relationship between DNA sequences and gene regulation. The study pinpointed critical gateways for transcription, showing how nucleosomes control gene function across the entire genome.
Scientists have developed a powerful method for charting nucleosome positions in the human genome, which could help uncover clues for cancer and other diseases. The technique successfully pinpointed the location of nucleosomes in thousands of promoter regions across seven human cell lines.
Researchers used a novel methodology and System X supercomputer to simulate the full range of DNA motions, revealing greater flexibility than expected. The study challenges the traditional view that DNA is hard to bend, suggesting it may not cost much energy to form protein-DNA complexes.
Researchers discover a genetic code that determines where nucleosomes are positioned along DNA, affecting access to genes and cellular processes. This finding has implications for understanding diseases such as cancer.
Researchers found a special type of nucleosome bearing protein Htz1 that allows genes to be read by cellular machinery in a regulated manner, enabling gene expression. This discovery has implications for understanding how gene activation and repression is altered in cancer cells and developing targeted treatments.
A new study by The Wistar Institute reveals that a recently discovered enzyme requires molecular partners to modify histones and repress genes in neurons. The findings may have long-term implications for treating depression and other psychiatric disorders.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have identified a protein called 53BP1, which recognizes molecular sites in chromatin to detect DNA breaks. This protein is responsible for activating the p53 cell-death program, preventing cancer, and has been found to work through a specific mechanism involving nucleosome structure.
Researchers discovered that nucleosomes can move to different spots in the genome, enabling efficient gene expression and regulating gene activity. This chromosomal remodeling process allows cells to turn genes on or off as needed.
Researchers at Cornell University have confirmed a theory about how a protein complex known as FACT helps cells read their genetic code. By studying the activation of a heat-shock gene in fruit fly cells, they found that FACT and other proteins quickly move to chromosomal sites where transcription occurs.
Researchers discovered that Rad54 and Rad51 proteins form a molecular machine that can repair DNA damage by moving nucleosomes along the strand and stitching new DNA into place. This process becomes more efficient with the addition of Rad51, which binds to single strands of DNA.
The study reveals how SATB1 regulates gene transcription by remodeling chromatin and positioning nucleosomes. In thymocytes, SATB1 brings specific enzymes to the IL-2Ra gene site, regulating its activation and repression.
Using optical tweezers, researchers have observed the dynamic structure of individual nucleosomes for the first time. They found that DNA in these units can be released from histones through a three-stage process, allowing enzymes like RNA polymerase to access genetic information.