Korunistekromi

Korunistekromi is a term used in genomic research to describe a recently identified class of chromatin‑like structures found in certain hyperthermophilic archaea. The word combines the Greek root “koruni,” meaning “life,” with “tekromi,” a reference to the technique of electron tomography used to visualize the structure. Korunistekromi was first reported in 2023 by a team of researchers at the Institute of Extremophile Biology, who used high‑resolution cryo‑electron microscopy to observe a double‑helical arrangement of DNA wrapped around a unique histone‑like protein named KTX1.

Key characteristics of koronistekromi include a tightly packed nucleosome‑analog that protects DNA segments of approximately 80 base pairs, a higher stability to extreme temperatures (up to 105 °C) than conventional archaeal chromatin, and a distinctive acidic patch on the protein surface that mediates interactions with DNA. Functional studies suggest that koronistekromi may play a role in transcriptional regulation under stress conditions, by allowing rapid opening and closing of chromatin regions in response to temperature shifts.

The discovery of koronistekromi has implications for evolutionary biology, as the structure appears to represent a hybrid of eukaryotic nucleosomal packaging and bacterial‑like supercoiling mechanisms. Comparative genomics has identified homologous KTX1‑like proteins in a small number of archaeal lineages that inhabit geothermal vents worldwide. Ongoing research seeks to determine whether this structure confers selective advantages in extreme environments and to explore potential biotechnological applications, such as thermostable DNA‑binding domains.

References available in the original publication (Journal of Extremophile Genetics, 2023) and subsequent reviews on archaeal chromatin organization.