Biomaterial Database

Chromatin structures and transcription of rDNA in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 1993

R Dammann, and R Lucchini, and T Koller, and J M Sogo

Institute of Cell Biology, ETH-Hönggerberg, Zürich, Switzerland.

The chromatin structure of yeast ribosomal DNA was analyzed in vivo by crosslinking intact cells with psoralen. We found that in exponentially growing cultures the regions coding for the 35S rRNA precursor fall into two distinct classes. One class was highly accessible to psoralen and associated with nascent RNAs, characteristic for transcriptionally active rRNA genes devoid of nucleosomes, whereas the other class showed a crosslinking pattern indistinguishable from that of bulk chromatin and was interpreted to represent the inactive rRNA gene copies. By crosslinking the same strain growing in complex or minimal medium, we have shown that yeast cells can modulate the proportion of active (non-nucleosomal) and inactive (nucleosomal) rRNA gene copies in response to variations in environmental conditions which suggests that yeast can regulate rRNA synthesis by varying the number of active gene copies, in contrast to the vertebrate cells studied so far. Whereas intergenic spacers flanking inactive rRNA gene copies are packaged in a regular nucleosomal array, spacers flanking active genes show an unusual crosslinking pattern suggesting a complex interaction of regulatory factors and histones with DNA.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D002843	Chromatin	The material of CHROMOSOMES. It is a complex of DNA; HISTONES; and nonhistone proteins (CHROMOSOMAL PROTEINS, NON-HISTONE) found within the nucleus of a cell.	Chromatins
D003432	Cross-Linking Reagents	Reagents with two reactive groups, usually at opposite ends of the molecule, that are capable of reacting with and thereby forming bridges between side chains of amino acids in proteins; the locations of naturally reactive areas within proteins can thereby be identified; may also be used for other macromolecules, like glycoproteins, nucleic acids, or other.	Bifunctional Reagent,Bifunctional Reagents,Cross Linking Reagent,Crosslinking Reagent,Cross Linking Reagents,Crosslinking Reagents,Linking Reagent, Cross,Linking Reagents, Cross,Reagent, Bifunctional,Reagent, Cross Linking,Reagent, Crosslinking,Reagents, Bifunctional,Reagents, Cross Linking,Reagents, Cross-Linking,Reagents, Crosslinking
D004271	DNA, Fungal	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of fungi.	Fungal DNA
D004275	DNA, Ribosomal	DNA sequences encoding RIBOSOMAL RNA and the segments of DNA separating the individual ribosomal RNA genes, referred to as RIBOSOMAL SPACER DNA.	Ribosomal DNA,rDNA
D005363	Ficusin	A naturally occurring furocoumarin, found in PSORALEA. After photoactivation with UV radiation, it binds DNA via single and double-stranded cross-linking.	Psoralen,Psoralene
D012322	RNA Precursors	RNA transcripts of the DNA that are in some unfinished stage of post-transcriptional processing (RNA PROCESSING, POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL) required for function. RNA precursors may undergo several steps of RNA SPLICING during which the phosphodiester bonds at exon-intron boundaries are cleaved and the introns are excised. Consequently a new bond is formed between the ends of the exons. Resulting mature RNAs can then be used; for example, mature mRNA (RNA, MESSENGER) is used as a template for protein production.	Precursor RNA,Primary RNA Transcript,RNA, Messenger, Precursors,RNA, Ribosomal, Precursors,RNA, Small Nuclear, Precursors,RNA, Transfer, Precursors,Pre-mRNA,Pre-rRNA,Pre-snRNA,Pre-tRNA,Primary Transcript, RNA,RNA Precursor,mRNA Precursor,rRNA Precursor,snRNA Precursor,tRNA Precursor,Pre mRNA,Pre rRNA,Pre snRNA,Pre tRNA,Precursor, RNA,Precursor, mRNA,Precursor, rRNA,Precursor, snRNA,Precursor, tRNA,Precursors, RNA,RNA Primary Transcript,RNA Transcript, Primary,RNA, Precursor,Transcript, Primary RNA,Transcript, RNA Primary
D012331	RNA, Fungal	Ribonucleic acid in fungi having regulatory and catalytic roles as well as involvement in protein synthesis.	Fungal RNA
D012335	RNA, Ribosomal	The most abundant form of RNA. Together with proteins, it forms the ribosomes, playing a structural role and also a role in ribosomal binding of mRNA and tRNAs. Individual chains are conventionally designated by their sedimentation coefficients. In eukaryotes, four large chains exist, synthesized in the nucleolus and constituting about 50% of the ribosome. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Ribosomal RNA,15S RNA,RNA, 15S
D012441	Saccharomyces cerevisiae	A species of the genus SACCHAROMYCES, family Saccharomycetaceae, order Saccharomycetales, known as "baker's" or "brewer's" yeast. The dried form is used as a dietary supplement.	Baker's Yeast,Brewer's Yeast,Candida robusta,S. cerevisiae,Saccharomyces capensis,Saccharomyces italicus,Saccharomyces oviformis,Saccharomyces uvarum var. melibiosus,Yeast, Baker's,Yeast, Brewer's,Baker Yeast,S cerevisiae,Baker's Yeasts,Yeast, Baker