Abstract
H1 histones bind to DNA as they enter and exit the nucleosome. H1 histones have a tripartite structure consisting of a short N-terminal domain, a highly conserved central globular domain, and a lysine-and arginine-rich C-terminal domain. The C-terminal domain comprises approximately half of the total amino acid content of the protein, is essential for the formation of compact chromatin structures, and contains the majority of the amino acid variations that define the individual histone H1 family members. This region contains several cell cycle-regulated phosphorylation sites and is thought to function through a charge-neutralization process, neutralizing the DNA phosphate backbone to allow chromatin compaction. In this study, we use fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching to define the behavior of the individual histone H1 subtypes in vivo. We find that there are dramatic differences in the binding affinity of the individual histone H1 subtypes in vivo and differences in their preference for euchromatin and heterochromatin. Further, we show that subtype-specific properties originate with the C terminus and that the differences in histone H1 binding are not consistent with the relatively small changes in the net charge of the C-terminal domains.
Highlights
H1 histones bind to DNA as they enter and exit the nucleosome
Variants that have been associated with cellular differentiation are the histone H5 and histone H1.0 subtypes, and they are closer in amino acid sequences and most divergent from the other somatic histone H1 variants
The structure of the globular domain has been solved by X-ray crystallography [25], and this domain has routinely been used for studies on reconstituted nucleosomes and chromatin (26 –29)
Summary
H1 histones bind to DNA as they enter and exit the nucleosome. H1 histones have a tripartite structure consisting of a short N-terminal domain, a highly conserved central globular domain, and a lysine-and arginine-rich C-terminal domain. The C-terminal domain comprises approximately half of the total amino acid content of the protein, is essential for the formation of compact chromatin structures, and contains the majority of the amino acid variations that define the individual histone H1 family members. This region contains several cell cycle-regulated phosphorylation sites and is thought to function through a charge-neutralization process, neutralizing the DNA phosphate backbone to allow chromatin compaction. An additional variant, referred to as H1oo, was recently isolated from the oocytes of mice [7] These studies revealed associations between histone H1 subtypes in cell growth and differentiation (8 –12) and in the development of higher eukaryotes (9 –15). The abbreviations used are: CTD, C-terminal domain; FRAP, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching; eGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein
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