Translating the Histone Code
Thomas Jenuwein,1
C. David Allis2
Chromatin, the physiological template of all
eukaryotic genetic information, is subject to a diverse array of
posttranslational modifications that largely impinge on histone amino
termini, thereby regulating access to the underlying DNA. Distinct
histone amino-terminal modifications can generate synergistic or
antagonistic interaction affinities for chromatin-associated proteins,
which in turn dictate dynamic transitions between transcriptionally
active or transcriptionally silent chromatin states. The combinatorial
nature of histone amino-terminal modifications thus reveals a
"histone code" that considerably extends the information potential
of the genetic code. We propose that this epigenetic marking system
represents a fundamental regulatory mechanism that has an impact on
most, if not all, chromatin-templated processes, with far-reaching
consequences for cell fate decisions and both normal and pathological
development.
1 Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
(IMP) at the Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 7, A-1030 Vienna, Austria.
E-mail: jenuwein{at}nt.imp.univie.ac.at
2 Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia Health
Science Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. E-mail:
allis{at}virginia.edu
