Nucleosomes inhibit the initiation of transcription but allow chain elongation with the displacement of histones

Y Lorch, JW LaPointe, RD Kornberg - Cell, 1987 - cell.com
Y Lorch, JW LaPointe, RD Kornberg
Cell, 1987cell.com
Promoters were assembled in nucleosomea or ligated to nucleosomes and transcribed with
SP6 RNA polymeraee or with mammalian RNA polymerase II and accessory factors. Neither
polymerass would initiate transcription at a promoter in a nucleosome, but once engaged in
transcription, both polymerases wem capable of reading through a nucleosome. In the
course of readthrough transcription, the h&ones were displaced from the DNA, as shown by
the exposure of nstrlction sites and by a shift of the template to the position of naked DNA in …
Summary
Promoters were assembled in nucleosomea or ligated to nucleosomes and transcribed with SP6 RNA polymeraee or with mammalian RNA polymerase II and accessory factors. Neither polymerass would initiate transcription at a promoter in a nucleosome, but once engaged in transcription, both polymerases wem capable of reading through a nucleosome. In the course of readthrough transcription, the h&ones were displaced from the DNA, as shown by the exposure of nstrlction sites and by a shift of the template to the position of naked DNA in a gel. It may be true, in general, that processke enzymes will traverse regions of DNA organized in nucleosomes and displace histones.
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