Table 2

Linker histone variants with potential unique functions

Variant

Organism

Essential for

Proposed function

viability?


H1A

Xenopus

Not known

Specific gene repression during

development

H1t

Mouse

No

Promotion of open chromatin

structure; recombination during

spermatogenesis

H10

Mouse

No

Repression of gene expression;

stabilization of chromatin

structure during differentiation

H1c

Mouse

No

Activation of gene expression

H1S-2,

Human

No

Activation of gene expression;

H1S-4

selective depletion from active

genes


Brown Genome Biology 2001 2:reviews0006.1   doi:10.1186/gb-2001-2-7-reviews0006