The poster shows the general steps in chromatin assembly and the diversity of chromatin organization. At each step, variation in the basic constituents of chromatin leads to the establishment of distinct final structures. The left-hand column of text provides examples of such variation; the right-hand column lists stimulatory factors that can promote progression through the assembly steps. Assembly begins with the deposition of the histone H3-H4 tetramer onto DNA, followed by the addition of two histone H2A-H2B dimers to form the core particle. The newly synthesized histones are specifically modified; typically histone H4 is acetylated at Lys5 and Lys12. During the maturation step ATP is required to establish a regular spacing, and histones are de-acetylated. The incorporation of linker histones is accompanied by folding of the nucleofilament, which is represented here as a solenoid structure containing six nucleosomes per gyre. Further folding events produce a defined organization within nuclear domains....

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