Phosphorylation of BigH1 regulates its expression pattern and promotes embryonic development

Metazoan genomes typically encode several linker histone variants, often expressed in a tissue- or developmental stage-specific manner. The Drosophila melanogaster genome contains only two linker histone variants: H1 is present in somatic cells, while BigH1 substitutes H1 in the germline and early embryos. In the early stages of embryogenesis, BigH1 is replaced by H1 in the chromatin of somatic cells, contributing to the initiation and maintenance of the zygotic gene expression program. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of this exchange and the possible functions of post-translational modifications of BigH1 in this process remain elusive. Here, we identify phosphorylation as a key post-translational regulator of BigH1 dynamics. Using proteomics and targeted mutagenesis of the endogenous BigH1 locus, we show that the loss of N-terminal phosphorylation results in persistent retention of BigH1 in somatic nuclei throughout embryogenesis, indicating a failure in BigH1 turnover. In contrast, disruption of C-terminal phosphorylation does not markedly affect BigH1 clearance but increases defects during early nuclear divisions and compromises embryonic development, particularly under suboptimal conditions. Together, these findings demonstrate that domain-specific phosphorylation differentially regulates BigH1 function, coordinating its early embryonic role with its subsequent removal from the chromatin.