Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2025

Author Spotlight: Enhancements in Gene Expression Regulation Research
07:10

Author Spotlight: Enhancements in Gene Expression Regulation Research

Published on: September 15, 2023

1.6K

Histone variants: expanding the epigenetic potential of neurons one amino acid at a time

Bradley J Lukasak1, Erica Korb1

  • 1Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Trends in Biochemical Sciences
|April 23, 2025
PubMed

Keywords:
histone variantsneuroepigeneticsneurogenesissynaptic plasticity

More Related Videos

Characterizing Histone Post-translational Modification Alterations in Yeast Neurodegenerative Proteinopathy Models08:33

Characterizing Histone Post-translational Modification Alterations in Yeast Neurodegenerative Proteinopathy Models

Published on: March 24, 2019

7.4K
Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy07:20

Author Spotlight: Epigenetic Modifications and Metabolic Rewiring as Targets for Cancer Therapy

Published on: October 18, 2024

416

Related Concept Videos

Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells01:32

Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells

Chromatin modification alters gene expression; therefore, scientists can add histone-modifying enzymes, histone variants, and chromatin remodeling complexes to somatic cells to aid reprogramming into pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
1.6K
Histone Modification02:32

Histone Modification

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...
12.8K
Epigenetic Regulation01:37

Epigenetic Regulation

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
2.9K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
6.1K
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

Spreading of Chromatin Modifications

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
The writer...
8.1K
Histone Variants at the Centromere02:30

Histone Variants at the Centromere

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...
4.3K