title: Histone Variant H3.3: A versatile H3 variant in health and in disease.
abstract: Histones are the main protein components of eukaryotic chromatin. Histone variants and histone modifications modulate chromatin structure, ensuring the precise operation of cellular processes associated with genomic DNA. H3.3, an ancient and conserved H3 variant, differs from its canonical H3 counterpart by only five amino acids, yet it plays essential and specific roles in gene transcription, DNA repair and in maintaining genome integrity. Here, we review the most recent insights into the functions of histone H3.3, and the involvement of its mutant forms in human diseases.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Chaoyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Zengqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. liguohong@sun5.ibp.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Guohong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics; D042822:Genomic Instability / Q000235:genetics; D042421:Histone Code / Q000235:genetics; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones
keywords: H3.3; development; histone chaperones; histone variants; tumorigenesis