The histone minority report: the variant shall not be silenced.
In this issue of Cell, Meneghini et al. demonstrate that replacement of canonical histone H2A with the histone variant H2A.Z within euchromatin prevents silent chromatin proteins from migrating into regions of the chromosome that normally are transcriptionally active. Thus, this highly conserved histone variant is critical for defining chromatin domains.
van Leeuwen
Fred
F
Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
Gottschling
Daniel E
DE
D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology*; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics*
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; C077020:histone H2A.F-Z