Chromatin organization, epigenetics and differentiation: an evolutionary perspective

Abstract

Genome packaging is a universal phenomenon from prokaryotes to higher mammals. Genomic constituents and forces have however, travelled a long evolutionary route. Both DNA and protein elements constitute the genome and also aid in its dynamicity. With the evolution of organisms, these have experienced several structural and functional changes. These evolutionary changes were made to meet the challenging scenario of evolving organisms. This review discusses in detail the evolutionary perspective and functionality gain in the phenomena of genome organization and epigenetics.