Pioneer transcription factors access gene regulatory sites embedded within chromatin. They drive gene expression programs vital for cell fate decisions and cellular reprogramming, but how they engage nucleosomal sites at the molecular level is unclear. New results show that they engage histones and collaborate to overcome the nucleosome barrier.
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Funding was provided by the DFG (Project-IDs 453441129, 213249687 - SFB 1064 and 325871075 - SFB 1309) and LMU Munich.
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A.G.L. is a founder, CSO and managing director of Eisbach Bio GmbH, a biotechnology company in oncology and virology. All other authors declare no competing interests.
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Murawska, M., Ladurner, A.G. & Margulies, C.E. Pioneers conquer core histones at the chromatin frontier. Nat Struct Mol Biol 30, 1050–1053 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-023-01058-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-023-01058-9
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