Unusual chromatin structure associated with monoparalogous transcription of the Babesia bovis ves multigene family

► Babesia bovis chromatin possesses nucleosomal spacing with a periodicity of approximately 157 bp. ► The B. bovis locus of active ves transcription (LAT) undergoes unusual nucleosomal repositioning when active. ► The LAT can adopt a higher-order DNA structure in vitro but evidence for such structure in vivo is not supported. ► A model is presented for nucleosomal repositioning that may provide for sequential bidirectional expression from the LAT.