nucleosome

American  

[noo-klee-uh-sohm, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli əˌsoʊm, ˈnyu- /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. any of the repeating subunits of chromatin occurring at intervals along a strand of DNA, consisting of DNA coiled around histone.

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nucleosome British  

/ ˈnjuːklɪəˌsəʊm /

noun

1. a repeating structural unit of chromatin that contains DNA and histones

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nucleosome Scientific  

/ no̅o̅′klē-ə-sōm′ /

1. Any of the repeating subunits of chromatin in eukaryotic cells, consisting of a DNA chain coiled around a core of histones.

2. See Note at histone

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Etymology

Origin of nucleosome

First recorded in 1960–65; nucleo- + -some ³

Example Sentences

The nucleosome forms a fundamental repeating unit of chromatin.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024

Each nucleosome consists of approximately 147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer which is composed of two H2A-H2B dimers and one H3-H4 tetramer.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024

Why is nucleosome formation required for the packaging of DNA?

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Because genomic DNA is folded around histone proteins to create nucleosome complexes, nucleosomes physically regulate the access of proteins, such as transcription factors and enzymes, to the underlying DNA.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In this first application of single-cell RNA sequencing to a eukaryotic pathogen, Bjrn Kafsack and colleagues determine the transcriptional changes induced by AP2-G, identifying other AP2 transcription factors, histone-modifying enzymes and regulators of nucleosome positioning.

From Nature • Sep. 24, 2017