Packaging of DNA into nucleosomes and the formation of higher-order chromatin structures determine DNA accessibility and activity of genome domains. We identified an RNA-dependent mechanism maintaining the open chromatin structure within euchromatic regions in Drosophila cells. The mechanism of reversible chromatin opening, reconstituted in vitro, depends on the Drosophila decondensation factor 31 (Df31) that specifically binds to RNA and localizes to euchromatic regions. Df31 is capable to tether a heterogeneous pool of short, single-stranded RNAs to chromatin. This class of chromatin-associated RNA (caRNA) is stably linked to chromatin and is largely composed of snoRNAs, which are preferentially bound by Df31. We suggest that the Df31-mediated linkage of snoRNAs and chromatin, forms a RNA-chromatin network resulting in the establishment of open chromatin domains. Analysis of caRNAs in human cells also reveals a strong enrichment of snoRNAs, implying a conserved role for these molecules in higher-order structures of chromatin.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 18. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 September 2026.
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#2,304,696
of 28,833,811 outputs
Outputs from Molecular Cell
#2,243
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Outputs of similar age
#14,581
of 199,252 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Molecular Cell
#10
of 85 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 28,833,811 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 91st percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 8,151 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 19.5. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 72% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 199,252 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 92% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 85 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 88% of its contemporaries.
