Chromatin Structure and Function in Bacteria and Archaea

Dear Colleagues,

The structural and functional organization of prokaryotic genomes into a nucleoid is facilitated by multiple factors, including DNA supercoiling, macromolecular crowding, phase separation, and architectural proteins. The three-dimensional organization of chromatin in living cells is dynamic at both local and global scales, globally regulating and fine-tuning processes such as transcription, DNA replication and repair, chromosome segregation, and horizontal gene transfer. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms of chromatin organization is crucial for advancing our understanding of fundamental biological processes in prokaryotes and their implications for biotechnology.

In line with this, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Microorganisms on “Chromatin Structure and Function in Bacteria and Archaea”. 

In this Special Issue, we welcome submissions addressing any aspect of prokaryotic genome organization, including but not limited to, the following:

• Discovery and characterization of novel architectural proteins or proteins with previously uncharacterized roles in genome organization;
• Mechanisms adopted by architectural proteins to organize genomic DNA;
• Modulation of genome organization by architectural proteins in response to the environment—the chromosome as an environmental sensor;
• Structural models of architectural proteins in complex with DNA;
• Interplay between chromatin structure and DNA transactions;
• Evolution of genome and chromatin organization.

We encourage the submission of original research articles and reviews. Specifically, we encourage submissions related to non-model organisms and reviews on topics that have not been recently covered in-depth elsewhere. We look forward to receiving your contributions and to showcasing cutting-edge advances that will deepen our understanding of prokaryotic chromatin biology.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Remus Dame
Dr. Ilaria Baglivo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.