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. 2022 Apr 2;13(4):639. doi: 10.3390/genes13040639

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Overview of the different levels of DNA compaction. The first higher-order structure of the chromatin is the nucleosome, which is composed of 145–147 bp of DNA wrapped around a H3/H4 tetramer and two H2A/H2B dimers. The histone H1 linker binds DNA fragments that link two nucleosomes to form the chromatosome. The addition of H1 promotes internucleosomal interactions and the formation of the 30 nm chromatin fiber. The highest level of DNA compaction is the metaphasic chromosome, observable during cell division.