RbAp46 and RbAp48 (pRB-associated proteins p46 and p48, also known as RBBP7 and RBBP4, respectively) are highly homologous histone chaperones that play key roles in establishing and maintaining chromatin structure. We report here the crystal structure of human RbAp46 bound to histone H4. RbAp46 folds into a seven-bladed beta propeller structure and binds histone H4 in a groove formed between an...

macroH2A is an H2A variant with a highly unusual structural organization. It has a C-terminal domain connected to the N-terminal histone domain by a linker. Crystallographic and biochemical studies show that changes in the L1 loop in the histone fold region of macroH2A impact the structure and potentially the function of nucleosomes. The 1.6-A X-ray structure of the nonhistone region reveals an...

The influence of adenovirus type 2 infection of HeLa cells upon expression of human histone genes was examined as a function of the period of infection. Histone RNA synthesis was assayed after run-off transcription in nuclei isolated from mock-infected cells and after various periods of adenovirus infection. Histone protein synthesis was measured by [3H]leucine labeling of intact cells and fluo...

Eukaryotic chromatin is composed of DNA and protein components-core histones-that act to compactly pack the DNA into nucleosomes, the fundamental building blocks of chromatin. These nucleosomes are connected to adjacent nucleosomes by linker histones. Nucleosomes are highly dynamic and, through various core histone post-translational modifications and incorporation of diverse histone variants, ...

Plant homeodomain (PHD) fingers have emerged as one of the largest families of epigenetic effectors capable of recognizing or 'reading' post-translational histone modifications and unmodified histone tails. These interactions are highly specific and can be modulated by the neighboring epigenetic marks and adjacent effectors. A few PHD fingers have recently been found to also associate with non-...