Accessing the assembly

DNA transactions in eukaryotes require that proteins gain access to target sequences packaged in chromatin. Further, interactions between distinct nucleoprotein complexes are often required to generate higher-order structures. Here, we employed two prokaryotic site-specific recombination systems to investigate how chromatin packaging affects the assembly of nucleoprotein structures of different complexities at more than 30 genomic loci. The dynamic nature of chromatin permitted protein–DNA and DNA–DNA interactions for sites of at least 34 bp in length.

7p system191 01-06-2013 50 4   Download

The organization of DNA within eukaryotic cell nuclei poses special problems and opportunities for the cell. For example, assembly of DNA into chromatin is thought to be a principle mechanism by which adventitious general transcription is repressed. However, access to genomic DNA for events such as DNA repair must be facilitated by energy-intensive processes that either directly alter chromatin structure or impart post-translational modifications, leading to increased DNA accessibility.

6p research12 01-06-2013 36 4   Download