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Related Concept Videos

Histone Modification02:32

Histone Modification

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The histone proteins have a flexible N-terminal tail extending out from the nucleosome. These histone tails are often subjected to post-translational modifications such as acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Particular combinations of these modifications form “histone codes” that influence the chromatin folding and tissue-specific gene expression.
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
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Histone Modification02:32

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Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

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The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
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The Nucleosome Core Particle01:12

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Nucleosomes are the DNA-histone complex, where the DNA strand is wound around the histone core. The histone core is an octamer containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histone proteins.
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The Nucleosome Core Particle02:10

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Nucleosomes are the DNA-histone complex, where the DNA strand is wound around the histone core. The histone core is an octamer containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histone proteins.
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Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

Histone Variants at the Centromere

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Histone variants are the histone proteins with structural and sequence variations. These variants may be regarded as “mutant” forms that replace their canonical histone counterparts in the nucleosomes. Specific post-translational modifications on the histone variants enable further chromatin complexity and regulate tissue-specific gene expression. The most common histone variants are from histone H2A, H2B, and linker histone H1 families. However, several variants of histone H3...
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Environmental responses mediated by histone variants.

Paul B Talbert1, Steven Henikoff1

  • 1Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.

Trends in Cell Biology
|August 25, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Histone variants, like H2A.Z and H2A.X, help repair DNA and adapt cells to environmental changes. These crucial proteins are involved in chromatin repair and host-parasite interactions.

Keywords:
DNA damage responseheat shockhistone-fold proteinshost–pathogen conflict

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Environmental changes can disrupt chromatin structure, affecting cellular functions.
  • Canonical histones are cell cycle-dependent, while histone variants offer continuous chromatin repair mechanisms.
  • Histone variants play roles beyond DNA repair, including in host-parasite interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of histone variants in cellular responses to environmental fluctuations.
  • To understand the mechanisms by which histone variants mediate chromatin repair.
  • To explore the broader involvement of histone variants in environmental adaptation and inter-organismal conflicts.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of histone variant expression and localization under various environmental conditions.
  • Investigating the phosphorylation patterns of histone H2A.X in response to DNA damage.
  • Comparative studies on histone usage in host-parasite systems.

Main Results:

  • Replication-independent histone variants, such as H2A.Z, are crucial for mediating cellular responses to environmental perturbations like temperature changes.
  • Histone H2A.X phosphorylation serves as a rapid marker for double-strand DNA breaks, initiating chromatin repair pathways.
  • Histone variants are implicated in host-pathogen interactions, highlighting their diverse biological roles.

Conclusions:

  • Histone variants are key players in maintaining genome stability and cellular adaptation to environmental stress.
  • The dynamic nature of histone variants allows for rapid responses to DNA damage and environmental challenges.
  • Histone variants have a multifaceted role in cellular processes, extending from DNA repair to mediating biological conflicts.