If a mutation caused a decrease in the activity of histone deacetylase, most likely histones would have a _______ affinity for DNA, and there would be _______ in rates of transcription.

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Histone deacetylase removes acetyl groups from histones, making them more positively charged and thus more tightly bound to the negatively charged DNA. A decrease in its activity would lead to histones being more acetylated, less positively charged, and therefore having a reduced affinity for DNA. This loosening of the DNA-histone interaction facilitates transcription, leading to an increase in transcription rates.

If a Mutation Caused a Decrease in the Activity of Histone