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Histone Proteins Relationship

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The DNA and Histone Proteins Relationship
To begin with, a nucleic acid is a macromolecule that is made of nucleotides units, in which each nucleotide is composed of a nitrogenous base, 5-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group. The nucleic acid can be in a DNA or RNA form and both contain all the genetic information an organism needs to function. On the other hand, a protein is a macromolecule composed of many amino acids joined together by peptide bonds. Even though both nucleic acids and protein are mostly composed of Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen and Nitrogen, they greatly differ in their functions. Nucleic acids basically give cells the instructions to make a protein, however; the opposite is impossible. This process is called the central dogma. …show more content…

Histones are proteins found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cell, and are positively charged. The positive charge is what allows them to bind tightly to DNA (that are negatively charged because of the phosphate group). DNA needs histones, during the initiation of DNA replication, to allow the DNA polymerase move along the DNA and replicate the right amount of genetic material required for a daughter cell. However, as all proteins, histones need DNA and has to go through the process of transcription and translation to be formed. Histones are responsible for the packaging of DNA and play an important role in the regulation of gene expression. As mentioned earlier, the opposite charges allow histones and DNA to bind tightly, therefore; reducing the positive charge makes DNA more open to the gene expression. Histones induce gene expression by altering chromatin structure. Each histone type has an N-terminal tail that emerges from the histone core and plays a significant role in determining the gene influence [2]. The tail allows different modifications that alter gene expression, such as methylation and acetylation. The methylation process, for example, regulates gene expression by reducing the chemical interaction between the tail and DNA, which increases the transcription of genes

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