Wu Xi, Zhang Xu, Huang Borong, Han Junyou, Fang Huihui
Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Developmental Biology, Laboratory of Plant Molecular and Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou, China.
Front Genet. 2023 Jul 31;14:1229782. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1229782. eCollection 2023.
Nucleosome is the basic subunit of chromatin, consisting of approximately 147bp DNA wrapped around a histone octamer, containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. A linker histone H1 can bind nucleosomes through its conserved GH1 domain, which may promote chromatin folding into higher-order structures. Therefore, the complexity of histones act importantly for specifying chromatin and gene activities. Histone variants, encoded by separate genes and characterized by only a few amino acids differences, can affect nucleosome packaging and stability, and then modify the chromatin properties. Serving as carriers of pivotal genetic and epigenetic information, histone variants have profound significance in regulating plant growth and development, response to both biotic and abiotic stresses. At present, the biological functions of histone variants in plant have become a research hotspot. Here, we summarize recent researches on the biological functions, molecular chaperons and regulatory mechanisms of histone variants in plant, and propose some novel research directions for further study of plant histone variants research field. Our study will provide some enlightens for studying and understanding the epigenetic regulation and chromatin specialization mediated by histone variant in plant.
核小体是染色质的基本亚基，由大约147bp的DNA缠绕在一个组蛋白八聚体上组成，该八聚体包含两份H2A、H2B、H3和H4。连接组蛋白H1可以通过其保守的GH1结构域结合核小体，这可能促进染色质折叠成更高阶结构。因此，组蛋白的复杂性对确定染色质和基因活性起着重要作用。组蛋白变体由单独的基因编码，仅在少数氨基酸上存在差异，它们可以影响核小体的包装和稳定性，进而改变染色质特性。作为关键遗传和表观遗传信息的载体，组蛋白变体在调节植物生长发育以及对生物和非生物胁迫的响应方面具有深远意义。目前，组蛋白变体在植物中的生物学功能已成为研究热点。在此，我们总结了植物中组蛋白变体的生物学功能、分子伴侣和调控机制的最新研究，并为进一步研究植物组蛋白变体研究领域提出了一些新的研究方向。我们的研究将为研究和理解植物中组蛋白变体介导的表观遗传调控和染色质特化提供一些启示。
