(Neutron scatter studies of chromatin structure related to function)

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:5859233

Bradbury, E M

This study is concerned with the application of neutron scatter techniques to the different structural states of nucleosomes and chromatin with the long term objective of understanding how the enormous lengths of DNA are folded into chromosomes. Micrococcal nuclease digestion kinetics have defined two subnucleosome particles; the chromatosome with 168 bp DNA, the histone octamer and one H1 and the nucleosome core particle with 146 bp DNA and the histone octamer. As will be discussed, the structure of the 146 bp DNA core particle is known in solution at low resolution from neutron scatter studies and in crystals. Based on this structure, the authors have a working model for the chromatosome and the mode of binding of H1. In order to define the structure of the nucleosome and also the different orders of chromatin structures they need to know the paths of DNA that link nucleosomes and the factors associated with chromosome functions that act on those DNA paths. The major region for this situation is the inherent variabilities in nucleosome DNA sequences, in the histone subtypes and their states of chemical modification and in the precise locations of nucleosomes. Such variabilities obscure the underlying principles that govern the packaging of DNA into the different structural states of nucleosomes and chromatin. The only way to elucidate these principles is to study the structures of nucleosomes and oligonucleosomes that are fully defined. They have largely achieved these objectives.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Davis, CA (USA). Dept. of Biological Chemistry
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-88ER60673
• OSTI ID: 5859233
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60673-1; ON: DE91010307
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400101 -- Activation
Nuclear Reaction
Radiometric & Radiochemical Procedures
550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BARYON REACTIONS
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
CHROMATIN
CHROMOSOMES
DNA
DOCUMENT TYPES
HADRON REACTIONS
HISTONES
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUCLEOPROTEINS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROGRESS REPORT
PROTEINS
SCATTERING
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS