Histone Variants: The Nexus of Developmental Decisions and Epigenetic Memory.
Annual Review of Genetics, 54:121-149.
Nucleosome dynamics and properties are central to all forms of genomic activities.Among the core histones, H3 variants play a pivotal role in modulating nucleosomestructure and function. Here, we focus on the impact of H3 variants on variousfacets of development. The deposition of the replicative H3 variant following DNAreplication is essential for the transmission of the epigenomic information encodedin posttranscriptional modifications. Through this process, replicative H3 maintainscell fate while, in contrast, the replacement H3.3 variant opposes celldifferentiation during early embryogenesis. In later steps of development, H3.3 andspecialized H3 variants are emerging as new, important regulators of terminal celldifferentiation, including neurons and gametes. The specific pathways that regulatethe dynamics of the deposition of H3.3 are paramount during reprogramming eventsthat drive zygotic activation and the initiation of a new cycle of development.
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