Genome packaging is the hierarchical organization and compaction of genomic DNA into nucleoprotein structures that establish its physical configuration within a cell. In eukaryotic nuclei, the primary structural unit is the nucleosome, in which approximately 146–147 base pairs of DNA are wrapped around an octamer containing two copies each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 [1][2]. Nucleosome core particles are connected by linker DNA, and their spacing, orientation, interactions, associated linker histones, histone modifications, and chromatin-binding proteins determine higher levels of chromatin organization [2][3][4]. Genome packaging therefore comprises the structural progression from DNA–histone association through nucleosome arrays and their folding, interactions, compaction states, and organization within larger chromatin domains [2][3][4]. Within chromatin dynamics, packaging is inherently conformational: nucleosome positioning and nucleosome–nucleosome interactions can vary, producing spatially heterogeneous chromatin configurations with different degrees of compaction and molecular accessibility [3][4].
🔵 Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics • 🟣 Molecular Biology • 🟡 Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology • 🔴 Life Sciences