Histone Acetyl Transferases Exert Their Effect on Gene Activity By

Question

Histone acetyl transferases exert their effect on gene activity by
A) introducing negative charges on the glutamic acids of histones.
B) neutralizing positive charges on the lysines of histones.
C) increasing the affinity of transcriptional activators for DNA.
D) increasing the affinity of transcriptional inhibitors for DNA.
E) modifying the DNA sequence of the promoter.

Accepted Answer

Histone acetyl transferases add acetyl groups to the lysine residues of histones, which neutralizes their positive charge, causing them to loosen their grip on DNA. This results in a more open chromatin structure which allows for increased accessibility of transcriptional machinery to the DNA, and thus increased gene activity.