chromatinreading

Chromatin reading is the process by which proteins recognize chemical modifications on chromatin, especially histone tails, and convert these marks into changes in chromatin structure and gene expression. Readers detect post-translational histone modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination, as well as DNA methylation patterns, and in doing so influence the recruitment of downstream effector complexes.

Many reader proteins contain specialized domains that recognize specific marks. Examples include bromodomains that bind acetylated lysines, chromodomains that recognize methylated lysines, PHD fingers, Tudor domains, MBT domains, PWWP domains, and methyl-CpG-binding (MBD) domains. These domains often act within larger protein complexes and can sense combinations of histone marks, contributing to a readout of the histone code.

Functionally, chromatin readers help determine transcriptional outcomes by guiding chromatin remodelers, histone modifiers, and transcriptional machinery to particular genomic regions. They participate in regulation of transcription initiation and elongation, replication timing, and DNA damage repair, and they play important roles in development and cell fate decisions. Aberrations in reader proteins or their binding interfaces are associated with various diseases, including cancer and developmental disorders.

Studying chromatin readers involves techniques such as chromatin immunoprecipitation, structural biology, and proteomics to map interactions and understand domain-specific recognition.