Histone variants play crucial roles in gene expression, genome integrity, and chromosome segregation. We report that the four H2A variants in Arabidopsis define different genomic features, contributing to overall genomic organization. The histone variant H2A.W marks heterochromatin specifically and acts in synergy with heterochromatic marks H3K9me2 and DNA methylation to maintain transposon silencing. In vitro, H2A.W enhances chromatin condensation by promoting fiber-to-fiber interactions via its conserved C-terminal motif. In vivo, H2A.W is required for heterochromatin condensation, demonstrating that H2A.W plays critical roles in heterochromatin organization. Similarities in conserved motifs between H2A.W and another H2A variant in metazoans suggest that plants and animals share common mechanisms for heterochromatin condensation.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4671829 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.06.006 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Epigenomics-guided precision oncology: Chromatin variants in prostate tumor evolution.
Int J Cancer
January 2025
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
Prostate cancer is a common malignancy that in 5%-30% leads to treatment-resistant and highly aggressive disease. Metastasis-potential and treatment-resistance is thought to rely on increased plasticity of the cancer cells-a mechanism whereby cancer cells alter their identity to adapt to changing environments or therapeutic pressures to create cellular heterogeneity. To understand the molecular basis of this plasticity, genomic studies have uncovered genetic variants to capture clonal heterogeneity of primary tumors and metastases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-resolution analysis of human centromeric chromatin.
Life Sci Alliance
April 2025
National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, Bethesda, MD, USA
Centromeres are marked by the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A/CENH3. Throughout the cell cycle, the constitutive centromere-associated network is bound to CENP-A chromatin, but how this protein network modifies CENP-A nucleosome conformations in vivo is unknown. Here, we purify endogenous centromeric chromatin associated with the CENP-C complex across the cell cycle and analyze the structures by single-molecule imaging and biochemical assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterplay between genetics and epigenetics in lung fibrosis.
Int J Biochem Cell Biol
January 2025
Centre for Respiratory Research, Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK; Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, UK; Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, University of Nottingham, UK. Electronic address:
Lung fibrosis, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is a complex and devastating disease characterised by the progressive scarring of lung tissue leading to compromised respiratory function. Aberrantly activated fibroblasts deposit extracellular matrix components into the surrounding lung tissue, impairing lung function and capacity for gas exchange. Both genetic and epigenetic factors have been found to play a role in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis, with emerging evidence highlighting the interplay between these two regulatory mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComputational analysis of congenital heart disease associated SNPs: unveiling their impact on the gene regulatory system.
BMC Genomics
January 2025
International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Laboratory of Zebrafish Developmental Genomics, Księcia Trojdena 4, Warsaw, 02-109, Poland.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a prevalent condition characterized by defective heart development, causing premature death and stillbirths among infants. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have provided insights into the role of genetic variants in CHD pathogenesis through the identification of a comprehensive set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Notably, 90-95% of these variants reside in the noncoding genome, complicating the understanding of their underlying mechanisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacterizing the regulatory effects of H2A.Z and SWR1-C on gene expression during hydroxyurea exposure in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
PLoS Genet
January 2025
Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Chromatin structure and DNA accessibility are partly modulated by the incorporation of histone variants. H2A.Z, encoded by the non-essential HTZ1 gene in S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!