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Nature 452, 946-947 (24 April 2008) | doi:10.1038/452946a; Published online 23 April 2008

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Gene transcription: Two worlds merged

David M. Lonard1 & Bert W. O'Malley1

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Why would two distant genes — on separate chromosomes and from different nuclear locations — unite in response to signals for gene expression? They might be seeds for the formation of transcriptional hubs.

Gene transcription occurs largely at the submicroscopic scale. So although microscopic analysis of nuclear architecture has implicated various structures in this process1, it has lacked the power to unravel the role that higher-order organization of chromatin (complexes of DNA and histone proteins) has in the expression of individual genes.

  1. David M. Lonard and Bert W. O'Malley are in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
    Email: berto@bcm.tmc.edu