Genome-wide mapping of nucleosome positions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to different nitrogen conditions

Well-organized chromatin is involved in a number of various transcriptional regulation and gene expression. We used genome-wide mapping of nucleosomes in response to different nitrogen conditions to determine both nucleosome profiles and gene expression events in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nitrogen conditions influence general nucleosome profiles and the expression of nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) sensitive genes. The nucleosome occupancy of TATA-containing genes was higher compared to TATA-less genes. TATA-less genes in high or low nucleosome occupancy, showed a significant change in gene coding regions when shifting cells from glutamine to proline as the sole nitrogen resource. Furthermore, a correlation between the expression of nucleosome occupancy induced NCR sensitive genes or TATA containing genes in NCR sensitive genes, and nucleosome prediction were found when cells were cultured in proline or shifting from glutamine to proline as the sole nitrogen source compared to glutamine. These results also showed that variation of nucleosome occupancy accompany with chromatin-dependent transcription factor could influence the expression of a series of genes involved in the specific regulation of nitrogen utilization.