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First published online March 2, 2004

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Looping the chromatin loop

Chromatin fibres are arranged in living cells as independent loops anchored to the nuclear matrix or chromosomal scaffold. Specific DNA sequences called scaffold/matrix-attachment regions (S/MARs) act as anchors for these loops but it is not clear how flexible the anchors are. Now, Henry Heng and colleagues reveal that S/MAR-mediated loop attachment is selective and dynamic (see p. 999). The authors introduced single and multiple copies of S/MAR constructs into transgenic mice and into transfected cell lines. They then used fluorescence in situ hybridization to examine where on the nuclear matrix or chromatin loops the S/MAR sequences are located. When multiple S/MARs are introduced, only some of the identical sequences are used as nuclear matrix anchors; even single-copy integrated S/MARs can be detected on chromatin loops rather than associated with the nuclear matrix. Heng and colleagues conclude that S/MARs are necessary but not sufficient for chromatin loop formation and they propose a model for transcription/replication regulation in which S/MARs are selectively used to move genes destined for transcription or replication from chromatin loops to the nuclear matrix.

Related articles in JCS:

Chromatin loops are selectively anchored using scaffold/matrix-attachment regions

Henry H. Q. Heng, Sandra Goetze, Christine J. Ye, Guo Liu, Joshua B. Stevens, Steven W. Bremer, Susan M. Wykes, Juergen Bode, and Stephen A. Krawetz
JCS 2004 117: 999-1008. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JCS Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content