组蛋白乙酰化与癌症

由于组蛋白被修饰所引起的染色质结构的改变,在真核生物基因表达调控中发挥着重要的作用,这些修饰主要包括甲基化、乙酰化、磷酸化和泛素化等,其中组蛋白乙酰化尤为重要.组蛋白乙酰转移酶（HAT）和组蛋白去乙酰化酶（HDAC）参与决定组蛋白乙酰化状态.HAT通常作为多亚基辅激活物复合体的一部分,催化组蛋白乙酰化,导致染色质结构的松散、激活转录;而HDAC是多亚基辅抑制物复合体的一部分,使组蛋白去乙酰化,导致染色质集缩,并抑制基因的转录. 编码这些酶的基因染色体易位易于导致急性白血病的发生.另一方面,已经确定了一些乙酰化修饰酶的基因在染色体上的位置,它们尤其倾向定位于染色体的断裂处.综述了HAT和HDAC参与的组蛋白乙酰化与癌症发生之间关系的最新进展,以期进一步阐明组蛋白乙酰化修饰酶的生物学功能以及它们在癌症发生过程中的作用.     

Diversity of operation in ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers

Chromatin is actively restructured by a group of proteins that belong to the family of ATP-dependent DNA translocases. These chromatin remodelers can assemble, relocate or remove nucleosomes, the fundamental building blocks of chromatin. The family of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers has many properties in common, but there are also important differences that may account for their varying roles in the cell. Some of the important characteristics of these complexes have begun to be revealed such as their interactions with chromatin and their mechanism of operation. The different domains of chromatin remodelers are discussed in terms of their targets and functional roles in mobilizing nucleosomes. The techniques that have driven these findings are discussed and how these have helped develop the current models for how nucleosomes are remodeled. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Snf2/Swi2 ATPase structure and function.     

H1oo在哺乳动物胚胎发育及其基因组重编程中的作用

染色质结构可由转录抑制状态转变为转录激活状态,从而调节早期胚胎由母型基因控制转变为合子型基因控制。作为一种特殊类型的连接组蛋白——哺乳动物特异性连接组蛋白H1oo,其表达方式具有一定的时序性,但又与其他7种连接组蛋白亚型有所不同,H1oo不但能够在卵母细胞．胚胎发育转换过程中发挥功能,而且还可能在基因组重编程过程中起到关键性作用。分析研究卵母细胞特异性连接组蛋白,有助于认识染色质重构建、基因组重编程过程以及核移植的分子机制,而且可能对克隆效率的提高有所补益。