Chromatibody, a novel non-invasive molecular tool to explore and manipulate chromatin in living cells.

ABSTRACT: Chromatin function is involved in many cellular processes, its visualization or modification being essential in many developmental or cellular studies. Here, we present the characterization of chromatibody, a chromatin-binding single-domain, and explore its use in living cells. This non-intercalating tool specifically binds the heterodimer of H2A-H2B histones and displays a versatile reactivity, specifically labeling chromatin from yeast to mammals. We show that this genetically encoded probe, when fused to fluorescent proteins, allows non-invasive real-time chromatin imaging. Chromatibody is a dynamic chromatin probe that can be modulated. Finally, chromatibody is an efficient tool to target an enzymatic activity to the nucleosome, such as the DNA damage-dependent H2A ubiquitylation, whic

SUBMITTER: Jullien D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4958301 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature