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. 1977 Nov;4(11):3769–3786. doi: 10.1093/nar/4.11.3769

A low resolution model for the chromatin core particle by neutron scattering

Pedro Suau 1, GGeoff Kneale 1, Gordon W Braddock 1, John P Baldwin 1, EMorton Bradbury 1
PMCID: PMC343199  PMID: 593885

Abstract

Neutron scattering studies have been applied to chromatin core particles in solution, using the contrast variation technique. On the basis of the contrast dependance of the radius of gyration and the radial distribution function it is shown that the core particle consists of a core containing most of the histone around which is wound the DNA helix,following a path with a mean radius of 4.5 nm,in association with a small proportion of the histones. Separation of the shape from the internal structure, followed by model calculations shows that the overall shape of the particle is that of a flat cylinder with dimensions ca. 11×11×6 nm. Further details of the precise folding of the DNA cannot be deduced from the data, but detailed model calculations support concurrent results from crystallographic studies25.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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