Structural biology of the chromodomain: Form and function

The chromodomain motif is found among certain chromosomal proteins of all eukaryotes. The chromodomain fold – three beta strands packed against a C-terminal alpha helix – mediates protein–protein and/or protein–nucleic acid interactions. In some cases, the affinity of chromodomain binding is regulated by lysine methylation, which appears to target chromodomain proteins and associated complexes to specific sites in chromatin. In this review, our current knowledge of chromodomain structure and function is summarized.

► I survey the basic structural biology of chromodomains.
► I summarize the biological roles of chromodomains in various proteins.
► I review the macromolecular associations between chromodomains.