Distinct Roles of Histone H3 and H2A Tails in Nucleosome Breathing

Numerous studies have shown the critical roles of nucleosome H3 and H4 N-terminal tails in gene expression; however, few studies have focused on the H2A C-terminal tail. Here we present thorough computational studies on a single nucleosome particle showing the linker DNA closing and opening, in the range of nucleosome breathing. With our simulation, the H2A C-terminal and H3 N-terminal tails were found modulate the nucleosome conformation in different manner. The H2A C-terminal tail regulates nucleosome conformation by binding to linker DNA at different locations, whereas the H3 N-terminal tail regulates linker DNA by binding to it in different pattern. Further MD simulation on tail truncated structures corroborates this analysis. These findings replenish our understanding of the histone tail regulation mechanism on atomic level.科研費クロマチン動構造第4回班会議