Castro C E, Armstrong-Major J, Ramirez M E
Fed Proc. 1986 Aug;45(9):2394-8.
Higher-order chromatin structure and the process of transcription are related. The significance of a nutritional state's altering chromatin structure lies in the potential role of that nutritional state in the regulation of gene expression. In rats short-term feeding of semisynthetic diets varying in the proportion of carbohydrate, protein, or fat alters the configuration of liver chromatin as measured by sensitivity to micrococcal nuclease (EC 3.1.31.1). A carbohydrate-rich, fat-free diet increases the sensitivity of rat liver chromatin to micrococcal nuclease and decreases the nucleosome repeat length. In contrast, a protein-free diet or a diet deficient in magnesium or zinc decreases the sensitivity of liver nuclear chromatin to micrococcal nuclease. Diet-mediated mechanisms that alter chromatin structure are now unknown, but the continued study of nutritional interaction with the genome should identify the responsible features as well as their significance to gene function.
高阶染色质结构与转录过程相关。营养状态改变染色质结构的意义在于该营养状态在基因表达调控中的潜在作用。在大鼠中，短期喂食碳水化合物、蛋白质或脂肪比例不同的半合成饮食会改变肝脏染色质的构型，这可通过对微球菌核酸酶（EC 3.1.31.1）的敏感性来衡量。富含碳水化合物、不含脂肪的饮食会增加大鼠肝脏染色质对微球菌核酸酶的敏感性，并缩短核小体重复长度。相反，无蛋白饮食或缺乏镁或锌的饮食会降低肝细胞核染色质对微球菌核酸酶的敏感性。目前尚不清楚饮食介导的改变染色质结构的机制，但对营养与基因组相互作用的持续研究应能确定相关特征及其对基因功能的意义。
