More than meets the eye: the histones revealed as enzymes

Abstract

Histones have been known as proteins that package the DNA of eukaryotes and regulate gene expression. We discovered that histones also function as enzymes that convert copper ions into a usable form for cells. The enzymatic function changes how we think about the roles of histones in health and disease. It may have also been a critical driver for emergence of eukaryotes in the first place. - submission by Oscar A. Campos, Siavash K. Kurdistani