Cell
Volume 143, Issue 2, 15 October 2010, Pages 212-224
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Article
Systematic Protein Location Mapping Reveals Five Principal Chromatin Types in Drosophila Cells

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Summary

Chromatin is important for the regulation of transcription and other functions, yet the diversity of chromatin composition and the distribution along chromosomes are still poorly characterized. By integrative analysis of genome-wide binding maps of 53 broadly selected chromatin components in Drosophila cells, we show that the genome is segmented into five principal chromatin types that are defined by unique yet overlapping combinations of proteins and form domains that can extend over > 100 kb. We identify a repressive chromatin type that covers about half of the genome and lacks classic heterochromatin markers. Furthermore, transcriptionally active euchromatin consists of two types that differ in molecular organization and H3K36 methylation and regulate distinct classes of genes. Finally, we provide evidence that the different chromatin types help to target DNA-binding factors to specific genomic regions. These results provide a global view of chromatin diversity and domain organization in a metazoan cell.

Highlights

► Unique combinations of proteins define five principal chromatin types in Drosophila ► Two chromatin types are known types of heterochromatin ► A previously unknown type of repressive chromatin covers ∼50% of the genome ► Two distinct types of euchromatin regulate different classes of genes

Cited by (0)

5

These authors contributed equally to this work

6

Present address: Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

7

Present address: Genome Function Group, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK