Histone modifications, chromatin structure, and the nuclear matrix

The nuclear matrix has a role in the organization and function of nuclear DNA. A combination of stable and transient interactions between chromatin and the nuclear matrix is involved in organizing DNA within the nucleus. DNA sequences (matrix attachment regions) at the base of a loop bind to nuclear matrix proteins and arrange the nuclear DNA into chromatin loop domains. Multiple, transient interactions between the nuclear matrix and transcriptionally active chromatin are thought to be responsible for the insoluble feature of transcriptionally active chromatin. Current evidence suggests that histone acetyltransferase, histone deacetylase (enzymes that catalyze rapid histone acetylation and deacetylation), transcription factors, and the transcription machinery mediate the transient attachments between nuclear matrix and active chromatin. Highly acetylated core histones, which are associated with transcriptionally active DNA, are also ubiquitinated and phosphorylated. Recent studies show that specific H1 subtypes and their phosphorylated isoforms are localized in centers of RNA splicing in the nucleus. The implications of these findings and the impact of the histone modifications on the nuclear organization of chromatin are discussed. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.