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Would you expect to see more or less acetylation in regions of DNA that are

sensitive to digestion by DNase I? Why?

1 Answer

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Final answer:

More acetylation would be expected in regions of DNA that are sensitive to DNase I digestion, as this modification is associated with less compact chromatin that is more accessible to enzymes and transcription machinery.

Step-by-step explanation:

You would expect to see more acetylation in regions of DNA that are sensitive to digestion by DNase I. Acetylation of histone proteins decreases the positive charge on lysine residues, resulting in a less compact chromatin structure. This less compact form is termed euchromatin, which is more accessible to DNase I and other enzymes involved in transcription.

These more open regions of DNA allow for the necessary machinery to bind and transcribe the DNA into RNA. Increased acetylation is generally associated with active transcription and open chromatin. On the other hand, methylation typically signals tighter packing of DNA, making it less accessible for transcription and more resistant to DNase I digestion.

Thus, in the context of DNase I sensitivity, acetylation correlates with open chromatin that is more susceptible to enzymatic cutting.

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