The mouse histone H1 genes: Gene organization and differential regulation

Zeng Feng Wang, Allen M. Sirotkin, Gregory M. Buchold, Arthur I. Skoultchi, William F. Marzluff

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

81 Scopus citations

Abstract

There are six mouse histone H1 genes present in the histone gene cluster on mouse chromosome 13. These genes encode five histone H1 variants expressed in somatic cells, H1a to H1e, and the testis-specific H1t histone. Two of the genes that have not been assigned previously to the five somatic H1 subtypes have been identified as encoding the H1b and H1d subtypes. Three of the H1 genes, H1a, H1e and H1t, are present on an 80 kb segment of DNA that contains nine core histone genes. Two others, Hid and H1e, are present in a second patch, while the H1b gene is at least 500 kb away in a patch containing 14 core histone genes. The histone H1 genes are differentially expressed. All five genes for the somatic histone H1 proteins are expressed in exponentially growing cells. However, the levels of H1a, H1b and H1d mRNAs are greatly reduced in cells that are terminally differentiated or arrested in G0, while the H1e and H1e mRNAs continue to be expressed. In addition to the major RNA that ends at the stem-loop, the H1c gene expresses a longer, polyadenylated mRNA in differentiated cells, although in varying amounts. None of the other histone H1 genes encodes detectable amounts of polyadenylated mRNAs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)124-138
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Molecular Biology
Volume271
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 8 1997

Keywords

  • Chromatin
  • Gene mapping
  • Histone
  • Histone H1
  • Histone mRNA

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Biology

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