Linker histone H1 variants

In molecular biology, the linker histone H1 is a protein family forming a critical component of eukaryotic chromatin. H1 histones bind to the linker DNA exiting from the nucleosome core particle, while the core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4) form the octamer core of the nucleosome around which the DNA is wrapped.

H1 forms a complex family of related proteins with distinct specificity for tissues, developmental stages, and organisms in which they are expressed. Individual H1 proteins are often referred to as isoforms or variants.

The discovery of H1 variants in calf thymus preceded the discovery of core histone variants.

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