The transcription complex of the 5 S RNA gene, but not transcription factor IIIA alone, prevents nucleosomal repression of transcription.

Assembly of nucleosomes on a 5 S DNA plasmid with histone H3.H4-N1 complex and histone H2A-H2B dimers causes a marked, 30-300-fold repression of 5 S RNA transcription. This repression is a time-dependent process that parallels the process of nucleosome formation. At physiological histone levels, DNA plasmids carrying nucleosomes with only histones H3 and H4 are transcriptionally permissive. The histone H3-H4 chromatin becomes transcriptionally nonpermissive when histone H2A-H2B dimers complement the nucleosome assembly reaction. H3-H4-H2A-H2B nucleosomes, but not H3-H4 nucleosomes, displace a DNA-bound transcription factor IIIA. In contrast, a preassembled 5 S RNA transcription complex is refractory to inactivation by nucleosomes.