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Understanding Nucleosomes in Eukaryotes

Nucleosomes are the basic units of DNA packaging in eukaryotes. They consist of segments of DNA wound in sequence around eight histone protein cores to form a structure resembling thread wrapped around a spool. Nucleosomes fold the large eukaryotic genomes into the nucleus through successively higher order structures that eventually form chromosomes, compacting the DNA and creating an added layer of regulatory control over gene expression. Nucleosomes are also thought to carry epigenetic information through covalent modifications to their core histones.

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63 views1 page

Understanding Nucleosomes in Eukaryotes

Nucleosomes are the basic units of DNA packaging in eukaryotes. They consist of segments of DNA wound in sequence around eight histone protein cores to form a structure resembling thread wrapped around a spool. Nucleosomes fold the large eukaryotic genomes into the nucleus through successively higher order structures that eventually form chromosomes, compacting the DNA and creating an added layer of regulatory control over gene expression. Nucleosomes are also thought to carry epigenetic information through covalent modifications to their core histones.

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rkumar1313
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A nucleosome is a basic unit of DNA packaging in eukaryotes, consisting of a segment of DNA

wound in sequence around eight[1] histone protein cores.[2] This structure is often compared to
thread wrapped around a spool.[3]
Nucleosomes form the fundamental repeating units of eukaryotic chromatin,[4] which is used to
pack the large eukaryotic genomes into the nucleus while still ensuring appropriate access to it
(in mammalian cells approximately 2 m of linear DNA have to be packed into a nucleus of
roughly 10 m diameter). Nucleosomes are folded through a series of successively higher order
structures to eventually form a chromosome; this both compacts DNA and creates an added
layer of regulatory control, which ensures correct gene expression. Nucleosomes are thought to
carry epigenetically inherited information in the form of covalent modifications of their
core histones. Nucleosomes were observed as particles in the electron microscope by Don and
Ada Olins [5] and their existence and structure (as histone octamers surrounded by approximately
200 base pairs of DNA) were proposed by Roger Kornberg.[6][7] The role of the nucleosome as a
general gene repressor was demonstrated by Lorch et al. in vitro
vivo.

[9]

[8]

and by Han and Grunstein in

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