title: Sequence-dependent histone variant positioning signatures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nucleosome, the fundamental unit of chromatin, is formed by wrapping nearly 147bp of DNA around an octamer of histone proteins. This histone core has many variants that are different from each other by their biochemical compositions as well as biological functions. Although the deposition of histone variants onto chromatin has been implicated in many important biological processes, such as transcription and replication, the mechanisms of how they are deposited on target sites are still obscure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By analyzing genomic sequences of nucleosomes bearing different histone variants from human, including H2A.Z, H3.3 and both (H3.3/H2A.Z, so-called double variant histones), we found that genomic sequence contributes in part to determining target sites for different histone variants. Moreover, dinucleotides CA/TG are remarkably important in distinguishing target sites of H2A.Z-only nucleosomes with those of H3.3-containing (both H3.3-only and double variant) nucleosomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There exists a DNA-related mechanism regulating the deposition of different histone variants onto chromatin and biological outcomes thereof. This provides additional insights into epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of many important cellular processes.
authors.affiliation: School of Knowledge Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan. ngoctule@jaist.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ngoc Tu
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Tu Bao
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Bich Hai
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019295:Computational Biology; D004261:DNA Replication; D057890:Epigenomics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes