H2A-H2B Histone Dimer Plasticity and Its Functional Implications.

The protein core of the nucleosome is composed of an H3-H4 histone tetramer and two H2A-H2B histone dimers. The tetramer organizes the central 60 DNA bp, while H2A-H2B dimers lock the flanking DNA segments. Being positioned at the sides of the nucleosome, H2A-H2B dimers stabilize the overall structure of the nucleosome and modulate its dynamics, such as DNA unwrapping, sliding, etc.

Histone dynamics mediate DNA unwrapping and sliding in nucleosomes.

Nucleosomes are elementary building blocks of chromatin in eukaryotes. They tightly wrap ∼147 DNA base pairs around an octamer of histone proteins. How nucleosome structural dynamics affect genome functioning is not completely clear.