Generation of a synthetic GlcNAcylated nucleosome reveals regulation of stability by H2A-Thr101 GlcNAcylation

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8978
• Publication Date: 2015-08-25T10:31:51Z
• Authors: Lukas Lercher; Ritu Raj; Nisha A. Patel; Joshua Price; Shabaz Mohammed; Carol V. Robinson; Christopher J. Sc...; Benjamin G. Davis
• Keywords: Transcription; RNA polymerase II; Histone Methylation

Abstract O- GlcNAcylation is a newly discovered histone modification implicated in transcriptional regulation, but no structural information on the physical effect of chromatin exists. Here, we generate synthetic, pure GlcNAcylated histones and nucleosomes reveal that can modulate structure through direct destabilization H2A/H2B dimers nucleosome, thus promoting an ‘open’ state. The results suggest plausible molecular basis for one role O -GlcNAcylation epigenetic regulation to lower barrier RNA polymerase passage hence increase transcription.