Title: Single molecule studies on the structure and assembly of nucleosomes

Abstract: Nucleosomes are the fundamental packing units of the

eukaryotic genome. The structure and structural dynamics of nucleosomes

are at the core of the mechanisms of gene regulation. We studied the

structure and assembly of nucleosomes and how these properties are

altered by DNA methylation or histone acetylation by Piccolo NuA4 based

on single molecule fluorescence measurements. Our study revealed that

these chromatin modifications induce changes in the structure and

assembly of nucleosomes that may directly contribute to the formation of

repressive or open chromatin states. Our study demonstrates how single

molecule methods can fill the niche not covered by the conventional

structural biology tools.