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Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 14, 1058–1060 (1 November 2007) | doi:10.1038/nsmb1107-1058

Histone H3 Arg2 methylation provides alternative directions for COMPASS

Robert J Klose & Yi Zhang

The nucleosome forms the basic building block of chromatin and consists of 146 base pairs of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer. In addition to compacting DNA within the nucleus, histones also serve as a canvas for post-translational modifications that regulate and dictate chromatin function.