Transcribing through the nucleosome

Abstract

The packaging of DNA into chromatin limits sequence accessibility, which affects all DNA-based processes including transcription. Indeed, the fundamental unit of chromatin, the nucleosome, presents a strong barrier to transcription in vitro. Since the discovery of the nucleosome barrier, the question of how the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) machinery overcomes nucleosomes at high speeds in vivo has remained a central question in chromatin biology. In this review, we discuss the nature of the nucleosomal barrier to transcription and highlight recent findings that provide new insights into the mechanism of transcription through nucleosomes.