Condensed Chromatin Domains in the Mammalian Nucleus Are Accessible to Large Macromolecules

Overview

Journal EMBO Rep

Specialty Molecular Biology

Date 2003 Aug 30

PMID 12947417

Citations 47

Authors

Pernette J Verschure

Ineke van der Kraan

Erik M M Manders

Deborah Hoogstraten

Adriaan B Houtsmuller

Roel van Driel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Most chromatin in interphase nuclei is part of condensed chromatin domains. Previous work has indicated that transcription takes place primarily at the surface of chromatin domains, that is, in the perichromatin region. It is possible that genes inside chromatin domains are silenced due to inaccessibility to macromolecular components of the transcription machinery. We have tested the accessibility of chromatin domains in nuclei of living cells with proteins and dextrans of different molecular sizes. Our results show that chromatin domains are readily accessible to large macromolecules, including proteins with a molecular weight of several hundred kilodaltons. Therefore, the silencing of genes that are incorporated into such domains is not due to the physical inaccessibility of condensed chromatin domains to transcription factors.

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