Histone H2A variants in nucleosomes and chromatin: more or less stable?

ABSTRACT: In eukaryotes, DNA is organized together with histones and non-histone proteins into a highly complex nucleoprotein structure called chromatin, with the nucleosome as its monomeric subunit. Various interconnected mechanisms regulate DNA accessibility, including replacement of canonical histones with specialized histone variants. Histone variant incorporation can lead to profound chromatin structure alterations thereby influencing a multitude of biological processes ranging from transcriptional regulation to genome stability. Among core histones, the H2A family exhibits highest sequence divergence, resulting in the largest number of variants known. Strikingly, H2A variants differ mostly in their C-terminus, including the docking domain, strategically placed at the DNA entry/exit site and im

SUBMITTER: Bonisch C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3510494 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature