Well-positioned nucleosomes punctuate polycistronic pol II transcription units and flank silent VSG gene arrays in Trypanosoma brucei.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The compaction of DNA in chromatin in eukaryotes allowed the expansion of genome size and coincided with significant evolutionary diversification. However, chromatin generally represses DNA function, and mechanisms coevolved to regulate chromatin structure and its impact on DNA. This included the selection of specific nucleosome positions to modulate accessibility to the DNA molecule. Trypanosoma brucei, a member of the Excavates supergroup, falls in an ancient evolutionary branch of eukaryotes and provides valuable insight into the organization of chromatin in early genomes.

Results

We have mapped nucleosome positions in T. brucei and identified important differences compared to other eukaryotes: The RNA polymerase II initiation regions in T. bru

SUBMITTER: Maree JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5359979 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature