H3.3 demarcates GC-rich coding and subtelomeric regions and serves as potential memory mark for virulence gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum.

ABSTRACT: Histones, by packaging and organizing the DNA into chromatin, serve as essential building blocks for eukaryotic life. The basic structure of the chromatin is established by four canonical histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4), while histone variants are more commonly utilized to alter the properties of specific chromatin domains. H3.3, a variant of histone H3, was found to have diverse localization patterns and functions across species but has been rather poorly studied in protists. Here we present the first genome-wide analysis of H3.3 in the malaria-causing, apicomplexan parasite, P. falciparum, which revealed a complex occupancy profile consisting of conserved and parasite-specific features. In contrast to other histone variants, PfH3.3 primarily demarcates euchromatic coding and subtelomeric

SUBMITTER: Fraschka SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4995406 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature