The relationship between DNA methylation and chromatin structure is still largely unknown. By analyzing a large set of published sequencing data, we observed a long-range power law correlation of DNA methylation with cell class-specific scaling exponents in the range of tens of kilobases. We showed that such cell class-specific scaling exponents are caused by different patchiness of DNA methyla...

The aim of the study was to compare sperm chromatin structure of transgenic and non-transgenic rabbits. In addition, the effect of chromatin structure on semen fertility was determined. Twenty male rabbits transgenic (TG) for WAP bGH gene (Edison Biotechnology Institute Ohio University, USA) and nine non-transgenic (NTG) males were used. Both TG and NTG rabbits were 13-18 months old. Semen was ...

While the genetic information is contained in double helical DNA, gene expression is a complex multilevel process that involves various functional units, from nucleosomes to fully formed chromatin fibers accompanied by a host of various chromatin binding enzymes. The chromatin fiber is a polymer composed of histone protein complexes upon which DNA wraps, like yarn upon many spools. The nature o...

The possible role of LG-1, a Tetrahymena specific HMG protein found in the macronuclear chromatin (Hamana, K. and Iwai, K. (1979) J. Biochem. 86, 789-794), was examined in relation to the chromatin structure. The chromatin isolated from cells synchronized at different stages of the cell cycle contained about one molecule of LG-1 per nucleosome. Limited digestion of the chromatin with DNase I or...

Linker histones are involved in chromatin higher-order structure and gene regulation. We have successfully achieved partial phosphorylation of linker histones in chicken erythrocyte soluble chromatin with CDK2, as indicated by HPCE, MALDI-TOF and Tandem MS. We have studied the effects of linker histone partial phosphorylation on secondary structure and chromatin condensation. Infrared spectrosc...

background: acrylamide (aa) is an important industrial chemical primarily. aa is also found in carbohydrate-rich foods that are prepared at high temperatures, such as french fries and potato chips. it is demonstrated that aa is a carcinogen and reproductive toxin and has ability to induce sperm damage. objective: the aim of this study was to observe the effects of aa on sperm parameters and eva...

Despite more than 20 years of research, the structure of the chromatin fiber and its molecular determinants remain enigmatic. Recent developments in high-resolution microscopic techniques, as well as the application of mathematical modeling to chromatin fiber structure, have allowed the acquisition of some new insights into the structure and its determinants. Here we present some of the newest ...