Fundamentals Of Chromatin

​​​​​​​​​​​​​While there has been an increasing number of books on various aspects of epigenetics, there has been a gap over the years in books that provide a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of chromatin. ​Chromatin is the combination of DNA and proteins that make up the genetic material of chromosomes. Its primary function is to package DNA to fit into the cell, to strengthen the DNA to prevent damage, to allow mitosis and meiosis, and to control the expression of genes and DNA replication. The audience for this book is mainly newly established scientists ​and graduate students. Rather than going into the more specific areas of recent research on chromatin the chapters in this book give a strong, updated groundwork about the topic. Some the fundamentals that this book will cover include the structure of chromatin and biochemistry and the enzyme complexes that manage it.

Biological processes that replicate, preserve and use the genetic information encoded in DNA must operate in the context of chromatin, a highly organized complex of DNA and proteins. These proteins do not merely package the DNA in the tiny volume of the nucleus, but impart the structure the ability to change according to the requirements of the specific process the DNA is involved in. Moreover, chromatin structure is used by the cell to control the activity of DNA. In this volume the basics of chromatin structure and dynamics are presented by established experts in the field.

An invaluable resource for computational biologists and researchers from other fields seeking an introduction to the topic, Chromatin: Structure, Dynamics, Regulation offers comprehensive coverage of this dynamic interdisciplinary field, from the basics to the latest research. Computational methods from statistical physics and bioinformatics are detailed whenever possible without lengthy recourse to specialized techniques.

Chromatin: Structure, Function, and History brings the reader up to date on the remarkable progress made in chromatin research over the course of the past 50 years. Coverage includes the basics of chromatin biology, beginning with the discoveries that culminated in the recognition of the nucleosome as the basic subunit of chromatin. Chromatin folding, nucleosome positioning, and histone variants are discussed, as well as research on chromatin modifications and remodeling, which exploded in the early to mid-1990s and led to widespread interest in epigenetics. Considerable attention is given to methods and experiments that led to key insights, and recent developments such as the use of genome-wide approaches and innovations in imaging approaches are also emphasized. By providing historical background together with detailed discussion of contemporary studies, the book aims to instill in the reader an appreciation not only of our current knowledge of chromatin structure and function, but also of the remarkable path that has taken chromatin to the forefront of modern research. Provides a current, expansive, and well-documented resource on chromatin and epigenetics Addresses the role of chromatin in transcription regulation and chromatin abnormalities in disease Reviews the historical background of specific areas of chromatin research, enabling readers to understand how the field was born and to appreciate the discoveries and technical advances that have propelled it forward

Fundamentals of Epigenetics provides concise yet complete information on the many aspects of the basic and most recent concepts in epigenetics, a branch of life science that deals with the mechanisms such as DNA modifications, histone modifications, RNA modifications, small and long non-coding RNAs, chromatin remodeling, which are involved in epigenetic control of gene expression without involving variations in DNA sequences. These regulatory mechanisms lead to phenotypic variations. These epigenetic mechanisms can be exploited for crop improvement and cure of human diseases. This book is primarily designed for undergraduate and graduate level students studying epigenetics in conventional, agricultural and medicinal universities. Teachers and researchers in any discipline of life sciences, agricultural sciences, medicine, and biotechnology, molecular epigenetics and biotechnology will also find it useful as a reference book.

Since publication of the first edition in 1995, there have been significant advances and understanding of chromatin structure and its relation to gene expression. These include a high-resolution structure of the nucleosome core, discovery of the enzymes and complexes that mediate histone acetylation and deacetylation, discovery of novel ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, new insights into nuclear organization and epigenetic silencing mechanisms. In light of these advances, Chromatin Structure and Gene Expression (2ed.) includes updated chapters and additional material that introduce new concepts in the process of gene regulation in chromatin.

Over the past decades, chromatin remodelling has emerged as an important regulator of gene expression and plant defense. This book provides a detailed understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in plants of agronomic importance. The information presented here is significant because it is expected to provide the knowledge needed to develop in the future treatments to manipulate and selectively activate/inhibit proteins and metabolic pathways to counter pathogens, to treat important diseases and to increase crop productivity. New approaches of this kind and the development of new technologies will certainly increase our knowledge of currently known post-translational modifications and facilitate the understanding of their roles in, for example, host-pathogen interactions and crop productivity. Furthermore, we provide important insight on how the plant epigenome changes in response to developmental or environmental stimuli, how chromatin modifications are established and maintained, to which degree they are used throughout the genome, and how chromatin modifications influence each another.

Over the past few decades, chromatin modulation has emerged as an important regulator of gene expression. This second edition provides detailed information on the epigenetic mechanisms in plants, illustrating the value of this research in plants of agronomic importance. It examines recent advances regarding plants’ epigenetic regulation in response to abiotic and biotic types of stress; the epigenetic basis of plant immunity; evolution and functions of plant histones; epigenetic variation and plant breeding; and epigenome editing and crop improvement. The content is intended to promote the development of future biotechnologies to manipulate and selectively activate/inhibit proteins and metabolic pathways to counter pathogens, to treat important diseases, and to increase crop productivity. The development of new fields, like epigenome editing and RNA epigenetics, will certainly improve our understanding of currently known epigenetic modifications and their roles in e.g. host-pathogen interactions, crop productivity, and in response to environmental stimuli. This volume contains twelve new/revised chapters, written by an international team of experts on plant epigenetics, and addresses the needs of researchers and professionals in the fields of agronomics, crop breeding, epigenetics, plant biochemistry, plant developmental biology, and related disciplines.