Chromatin Organization and the Control of Gene Activity

Abstract

Publisher Summary Changes in the conformation of chromatin can be envisaged as a critical step in the complex control mechanism of gene regulation and hence differentiation. This chapter reviews the different levels and potentialities of chromatin organization, their determination, and their significance for differential gene activation. Some models, which indicate that a deeper understanding of the process of differentiation will rest upon a biophysical interpretation of phenomena related to chromatin structure and gene activity, are also discussed. Changes in DNA conformation caused by ions, for example, B to Z transition, leads to a different protein binding capacity and hence structural changes of chromatin. The gene activity is evidently controlled via chromatin conformation, which itself is the result of genome organization plus the electrostatic environment. The conformation of chromatin and DNA may lead to certain electronic states of these molecules with different levels of excitation and photon emission with feedback effects on the structure and function of the nucleus and the cell.