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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Jun 18.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Biochem. 2022 Mar 18;91:183–195. doi: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-032620-104508

Figure 1. Chromatin proteins to scale.

Figure 1.

Protein complexes sketched from 3D structures are drawn, and the segment of DNA that each protects is indicated. From left to right: nucleosome (wrapping 150 bp), nucleosome with chromatin remodeler (1) (120 bp footprint), transcription factor (~20 bp footprint), RNAPII and Mediator (2) (80 bp footprint), and a replisome (3) (60 bp footprint). A nucleosome depleted region (NDR) is usually found at promoters of active genes. The wrapping of DNA around a nucleosome causes the DNA to be negatively supercoiled, indicated by black “-” sign below the nucleosomes. The movement of remodelers, RNAPII, and replisome propagates positive supercoiling in front of these complexes and negative supercoiling behind them, indicated by red, green, and gray “+” and “-” signs for supercoiling and arrows for direction of movement of these complexes (4). Lengths of DNA are not drawn to scale as some structures like nucleosome wrap DNA.