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-Structure paper
| Title | H2B.W2, a spermatocyte-specific histone variant, disrupts nucleosome stability, and reduces chromatin compaction. |
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| Journal, issue, pages | Nucleic Acids Res, Vol. 53, Issue 16, Year 2025 |
| Publish date | Aug 27, 2025 |
Authors | April T T Nguyen / Dongbo Ding / Xingpeng Bai / Matthew Y H Pang / Mingxi Deng / Yue Liu / Tingyu Jin / Zhichun Xu / Yingyi Zhang / Yuanliang Zhai / Yan Yan / Toyotaka Ishibashi / ![]() |
| PubMed Abstract | Spermatogenesis is a highly regulated process that requires precise chromatin remodeling, which includes the incorporation of testis-specific histone variants. While several of these variants have ...Spermatogenesis is a highly regulated process that requires precise chromatin remodeling, which includes the incorporation of testis-specific histone variants. While several of these variants have been characterized, the role of H2B.W2, a member of the H2BW family, remains largely unclear. Here, we showed that H2B.W2 expression occurs mainly in spermatocytes, slightly later than its paralog H2B.W1. Cryo-electron microscopy analysis of H2B.W2-containing nucleosomes reveals a more relaxed conformation compared to canonical nucleosomes caused by weakened interactions between the outer DNA turn and the histone core. We pinpointed the N-terminal tail and α2 helix of H2B.W2 as critical regions for nucleosome destabilization. Furthermore, we identify G73 within the L1 loop as a key residue involved in disrupting higher-order chromatin structure. Our findings suggest that H2B.W2-mediated nucleosome and chromatin destabilization may play a role in regulating gene expression during spermatogenesis, with potential implications for sperm development and function. |
External links | Nucleic Acids Res / PubMed:40874595 / PubMed Central |
| Methods | EM (single particle) |
| Resolution | 3.34 Å |
| Structure data | EMDB-61358, PDB-9jc6: |
| Source |
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Keywords | DNA BINDING PROTEIN/DNA / Nucleosome / DNA BINDING PROTEIN / DNA BINDING PROTEIN-DNA complex |
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homo sapiens (human)
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