Abstract
The complexity of the genome is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, which act on the level of DNA, histones, and nucleosomes. Epigenetic machinery is involved in various biological processes, including embryonic development, cell differentiation, neurogenesis, and adult cell renewal. In the last few years, it has become clear that the number of players identified in the regulation of chromatin structure and function is still increasing. In addition to well-known phenomena, including DNA methylation and histone modification, new, important elements, including nucleosome mobility, histone tail clipping, and regulatory ncRNA molecules, are being discovered. The present paper provides the current state of knowledge about the role of 16 different histone post-translational modifications, nucleosome positioning, and histone tail clipping in the structure and function of chromatin. We also emphasize the significance of cross-talk among chromatin marks and ncRNAs in epigenetic control.
Highlights
Over the last decade, researchers worldwide have revealed a huge amount of information about the epigenome, but many questions still remain unanswered
The present paper provides the current state of knowledge about the role of 16 different histone posttranslational modifications, nucleosome positioning, and histone tail clipping in the structure and function of chromatin
DNA- and histonebinding proteins that influence chromatin structure and non-coding RNA molecules have emerged as key players in chromatin remodeling
Summary
Researchers worldwide have revealed a huge amount of information about the epigenome, but many questions still remain unanswered. It is worth mentioning that the removal of the N-terminal tail of histones influences structure and dynamics of chromatin that could promote or inhibit transcription activity (Bannister and Kouzarides 2011). These modifications include methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, glycosylation, carbonylation, ubiquitylation, biotinylation, sumoylation, citrullination, ADP-ribosylation, N-formylation, crotonylation, propionylation, and butyrylation, as well as proline and aspartic acid isomerization.
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