The right place at the right time: chaperoning core histone variants
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026

In Vitro Characterization of Histone Chaperones using Analytical, Pull-Down and Chaperoning Assays
Published on: December 29, 2021
Francesca Mattiroli1, Sheena D'Arcy2, Karolin Luger2
1Department of Molecular and Radiobiological Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA francesca.mattiroli@colorado.edu.
Abstract:
Histone proteins dynamically regulate chromatin structure and epigenetic signaling to maintain cell homeostasis. These processes require controlled spatial and temporal deposition and eviction of histones by their dedicated chaperones. With the evolution of histone variants, a network of functionally specific histone chaperones has emerged. Molecular details of the determinants of chaperone specificity for different histone variants are only slowly being resolved. A complete understanding of these processes is essential to shed light on the genuine biological roles of histone variants, their chaperones, and their impact on chromatin dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
Histone Variants at the Centromere
The Nucleosome Core Particle
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their primary aim is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. On the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access histone-bound DNA during...
The Nucleosome Core Particle
The paradox
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their main responsibility is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. While on the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access DNA...
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
Histone Modification
The Nucleosome
In a chromosome, DNA is wound twice around a protein complex called a histone octamer core, which consists of 8 histone proteins. This...

