Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Trends Biochem Sci. 2021 Jul;46(7):564-578. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.12.012. Epub 2021 Feb 4.
The core histone tails are critical in chromatin structure and signaling. Studies over the past several decades have provided a wealth of information on the histone tails and their interaction with chromatin factors. However, the conformation of the histone tails in a chromatin relevant context has remained elusive. Only recently has enough evidence emerged to start to build a structural model of the tails in the context of nucleosomes and nucleosome arrays. Here, we review these studies and propose that the histone tails adopt a high-affinity fuzzy complex with DNA, characterized by robust but dynamic association. Furthermore, we discuss how these DNA-bound conformational ensembles promote distinct chromatin structure and signaling, and that their fuzzy nature is important in transitioning between functional states.
核心组蛋白尾部在染色质结构和信号转导中起着关键作用。在过去几十年的研究中，人们获得了大量关于组蛋白尾部及其与染色质因子相互作用的信息。然而，在与染色质相关的环境中，组蛋白尾部的构象仍然难以捉摸。直到最近，才出现了足够的证据来开始构建核小体和核小体阵列中尾部的结构模型。在这里，我们回顾了这些研究，并提出组蛋白尾部与 DNA 形成高亲和力的模糊复合物，其特征是稳健但动态的结合。此外，我们还讨论了这些与 DNA 结合的构象集合如何促进不同的染色质结构和信号转导，以及它们的模糊性质在功能状态之间的转换中是很重要的。
