ATP-dependent histone octamer sliding mediated by the chromatin remodeling complex NURF.

Drosophila NURF is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex that contains ISWI, a member of the SWI2/SNF2 family of ATPases. We demonstrate that NURF catalyzes the bidirectional redistribution of mononucleosomes reconstituted on hsp70 promoter DNA. In the presence of NURF, nucleosomes adopt one predominant position from an ensemble of possible locations within minutes. Movements occur in cis, with no transfer to competing DNA. Migrating intermediates trapped by Exo III digestion reveal progressive nucleosome motion in increments of several base pairs. All four core histones are retained quantitatively during this process, indicating that the general integrity of the histone octamer is maintained. We suggest that NURF remodels nucleosomes by transiently decreasing the activation energy for short-range sliding of the histone octamer.     

Topography of the ISW2-nucleosome complex: insights into nucleosome spacing and chromatin remodeling

Linker DNA was found to be critical for the specific docking of ISW2 with nucleosomes as shown by mapping the physical contacts of ISW2 with nucleosomes at base-pair resolution. Hydroxyl radical footprinting revealed that ISW2 not only extensively interacts with the linker DNA, but also approaches the nucleosome from the side perpendicular to the axis of the DNA superhelix and contacts two disparate sites on the nucleosomal DNA from opposite sides of the superhelix. The topography of the ISW2-nucleosome was further delineated by finding which of the ISW2 subunits are proximal to specific sites within the linker and nucleosomal DNA regions by site-directed DNA photoaffinity labeling. Although ISW2 was shown to contact approximately 63 bp of linker DNA, a minimum of 20 bp of linker DNA was required for stable binding of ISW2 to nucleosomes. The remaining approximately 43 bp of flanking linker DNA promoted more efficient binding under competitive binding conditions and was functionally important for enhanced sliding of nucleosomes when ISW2 was significantly limiting.     

Analysis of nucleosome repositioning by yeast ISWI and Chd1 chromatin remodeling complexes

ISWI proteins form the catalytic core of a subset of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activities in eukaryotes from yeast to man. Many of these complexes have been found to reposition nucleosomes but with different directionalities. We find that the yeast Isw1a, Isw2, and Chd1 enzymes preferentially move nucleosomes toward more central locations on short DNA fragments whereas Isw1b does not. Importantly, the inherent positioning properties of the DNA play an important role in determining where nucleosomes are relocated to by all of these enzymes. However, a key difference is that the Isw1a, Isw2, and Chd1 enzymes are unable to move nucleosomes to positions closer than 15 bp from a DNA end, whereas Isw1b can. We also find that there is a correlation between the inability of enzymes to move nucleosomes close to DNA ends and the preferential binding to nucleosomes bearing linker DNA. These observations suggest that the accessibility of linker DNA together with the positioning properties of the underlying DNA play important roles in determining the outcome of remodeling by these enzymes.     

Using atomic force microscopy to study chromatin structure and nucleosome remodeling

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a technique that can directly image single molecules in solution and it therefore provides a powerful tool for obtaining unique insights into the basic properties of biological materials and the functional processes in which they are involved. We have used AFM to analyze basic features of nucleosomes in arrays, such as DNA-histone binding strength, cooperativity in template occupation, nucleosome stabilities, nucleosome locations and the effects of acetylation, to compare these features in different types of arrays and to track the response of array nucleosomes to the action of the human Swi-Snf ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling complex. These experiments required several specific adaptations of basic AFM methods, such as repetitive imaging of the same fields of molecules in liquid, the ability to change the environmental conditions of the sample being imaged and detection of specific types of molecules within compositionally complex samples. Here, we describe the techniques that allowed such analyses to be carried out.     

Multistep chromatin assembly on supercoiled plasmid DNA by nucleosome assembly protein-1 and ATP-utilizing chromatin assembly and remodeling factor

We examine in vitro nucleosome assembly by nucleosome assembly protein-1 (NAP-1) and ATP-utilizing chromatin assembly and remodeling factor (ACF). In contrast to previous studies that used relaxed, circular plasmids as templates, we have found that negatively supercoiled templates reveal the distinct roles of NAP-1 and ACF in histone deposition and the formation of an ordered nucleosomal array. NAP-1 can efficiently deposit histones onto supercoiled plasmids. Furthermore, NAP-1 exhibits a greater affinity for histones H2A-H2B than does naked DNA, but in the presence of H3-H4, H2A-H2B are transferred from NAP-1 to the plasmid templates. These observations underscore the importance of a high affinity between H2A-H2B and NAP-1 for ordered transfer of core histones onto DNA. In addition, recombinant ACF composed of imitation switch and Acf1 can extend closely packed nucleosomes, which suggests that recombinant ACF can mobilize nucleosomes. In the assembly reaction with a supercoiled template, ACF need not be added simultaneously with NAP-1. Regularly spaced nucleosomes are generated even when recombinant ACF is added after core histones are transferred completely onto the DNA. Atomic force microscopy, however, suggests that NAP-1 alone fails to accomplish the formation of fine nucleosomal core particles, which are only formed in the presence of ACF. These results suggest a model for the ordered deposition of histones and the arrangement of nucleosomes during chromatin assembly in vivo.     

ATP依赖的染色质改构复合物及其作用机制

染色质高度紧密的折叠阻止了转录因子和辅因子与DNA的结合, 因而通过染色质重塑以解除这样的抑制环境, 对于转录活动的正常进行是至关重要的。目前认为, 染色质重塑至少是通过两种机制来完成的, 一种是通过ATP依赖的染色质改构复合物, 另一种是通过对组蛋白尾部进行共价修饰的组蛋白修饰酶复合物。文章结合近年来的研究进展, 对前者进行染色质重塑的机制及两者在基因转录调控过程中如何相互协作等进行了论述。     

Functional role of extranucleosomal DNA and the entry site of the nucleosome in chromatin remodeling by ISW2

A minimal amount of extranucleosomal DNA was required for nucleosome mobilization by ISW2 as shown by using a photochemical histone mapping approach to analyze nucleosome movement on a set of nucleosomes with varied lengths of extranucleosomal DNA. ISW2 was ineffective in repositioning or mobilizing nucleosomes with 相似文献