Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells
Abstract The eukaryotic genome is packaged into chromatin, which is composed of a nucleosomal filament that coils up to form more compact structures. Chromatin exists in two main forms: euchromatin, which is relatively decondensed and enriched in transcriptionally active genes, and heterochromatin,...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59994-7 |
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| author | Hemant K. Prajapati Zhuwei Xu Peter R. Eriksson David J. Clark |
| author_facet | Hemant K. Prajapati Zhuwei Xu Peter R. Eriksson David J. Clark |
| author_sort | Hemant K. Prajapati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The eukaryotic genome is packaged into chromatin, which is composed of a nucleosomal filament that coils up to form more compact structures. Chromatin exists in two main forms: euchromatin, which is relatively decondensed and enriched in transcriptionally active genes, and heterochromatin, which is condensed and transcriptionally repressed. It is widely accepted that chromatin architecture modulates DNA accessibility, restricting the access of sequence-specific, gene-regulatory, transcription factors to the genome. However, the evidence for this model derives primarily from experiments with isolated nuclei, in which chromatin remodeling has ceased, resulting in a static chromatin structure. Here, using a DNA methyltransferase to measure accessibility in vivo, we show that both euchromatin and heterochromatin are fully accessible in living human cells, whereas centromeric α-satellite chromatin is partly inaccessible. We conclude that all nucleosomes in euchromatin and heterochromatin are highly dynamic in living cells, except for nucleosomes in centromeric chromatin. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a6548e0e7b9a469891b60bdcb5a6cd36 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-a6548e0e7b9a469891b60bdcb5a6cd362025-08-20T02:25:17ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-59994-7Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cellsHemant K. Prajapati0Zhuwei Xu1Peter R. Eriksson2David J. Clark3Division of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthDivision of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthDivision of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthDivision of Developmental Biology, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of HealthAbstract The eukaryotic genome is packaged into chromatin, which is composed of a nucleosomal filament that coils up to form more compact structures. Chromatin exists in two main forms: euchromatin, which is relatively decondensed and enriched in transcriptionally active genes, and heterochromatin, which is condensed and transcriptionally repressed. It is widely accepted that chromatin architecture modulates DNA accessibility, restricting the access of sequence-specific, gene-regulatory, transcription factors to the genome. However, the evidence for this model derives primarily from experiments with isolated nuclei, in which chromatin remodeling has ceased, resulting in a static chromatin structure. Here, using a DNA methyltransferase to measure accessibility in vivo, we show that both euchromatin and heterochromatin are fully accessible in living human cells, whereas centromeric α-satellite chromatin is partly inaccessible. We conclude that all nucleosomes in euchromatin and heterochromatin are highly dynamic in living cells, except for nucleosomes in centromeric chromatin.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59994-7 |
| spellingShingle | Hemant K. Prajapati Zhuwei Xu Peter R. Eriksson David J. Clark Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells Nature Communications |
| title | Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells |
| title_full | Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells |
| title_fullStr | Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells |
| title_short | Nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells |
| title_sort | nucleosome dynamics render heterochromatin accessible in living human cells |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59994-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hemantkprajapati nucleosomedynamicsrenderheterochromatinaccessibleinlivinghumancells AT zhuweixu nucleosomedynamicsrenderheterochromatinaccessibleinlivinghumancells AT peterreriksson nucleosomedynamicsrenderheterochromatinaccessibleinlivinghumancells AT davidjclark nucleosomedynamicsrenderheterochromatinaccessibleinlivinghumancells |