The role of non-chromosomal histones in the host defense system.
Histone H1 is located at the inter-nucleosome and more correctly at both ends of the double-stranded DNA that protrude from the nucleosome unit. It has long been recognized to be localized only inside the nuclei as a constituent for packaging nucleosome into chromatin. Thus, it could be hardly believed that detatched or solubilized histone H1 plays the role of a host defense molecule. Given the old reports on histone-like basic proteins that show bacteriostatic functions, I herein chose some recent related articles and tried review them. Recent advances in research on the cell death mechanism makes it possible to understand that programmed cell death, (i.e. apoptosis) could serve as a good source of soluble histones. Some forms of them are highly probable to be bacteriostatic.
Kanai
Yoshiyuki
Y
Center for Experimental Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan. kanai@chojuken.net
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000502:physiology
D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes