Bromodomains

Bromodomains specifically recognize and bind to acetyl groups on histone proteins. Histones are proteins around which DNA is coiled in the cell nucleus, forming a structure called chromatin. The acetyl groups are added to histones as part of a process called histone acetylation, which can lead to changes in the way chromatin is structured and influence gene expression. When a bromodomain binds to an acetylated histone, it can help facilitate the activation of nearby genes by allowing the chromatin to adopt a more open and accessible conformation, which enables the transcription machinery to access the DNA and transcribe genes into RNA.