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Structure of nucleosome core particles of chromatin

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Abstract

Crystals have been obtained of nucleosome cores and analysed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The core is a flat particle of dimensions about 110 × 110 × 57 Å, somewhat wedge shaped, and strongly divided into two ‘layers’, consistent with the DNA being wound into about 1¾ turns of a fiat superhelix of a pitch about 28 Å. The organisation of the DNA can be correlated with the results of enzyme digestion studies. A change in the screw of the DNA double helix on nucleosome formation can be deduced.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK

    J. T. Finch, L. C. Lutter, D. Rhodes, R. S. Brown, B. Rushton, M. Levitt & A. Klug

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  1. J. T. Finch
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  2. L. C. Lutter
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  3. D. Rhodes
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  4. R. S. Brown
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  5. B. Rushton
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  6. M. Levitt
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  7. A. Klug
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Finch, J., Lutter, L., Rhodes, D. et al. Structure of nucleosome core particles of chromatin. Nature 269, 29–36 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/269029a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/269029a0

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