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

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Histone acetyl transferases (HATs) add acetyl groups to the positively charged lysine residues of histone tails, neutralizing their positive charge and reducing their affinity for DNA. This promotes a more open chromatin conformation, allowing increased accessibility to the DNA by transcription factors and RNA polymerase, ultimately leading to increased gene activity.

Histone Acetyl Transferases Exert Their Effect on Gene Activity by ________