Histone Cluster 3, H3 (HIST3H3)

Histones are basic nuclear proteins that are responsible for the nucleosome structure of the chromosomal fiber in eukaryotes. Nucleosomes consist of approximately 146 bp of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer composed of pairs of each of the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4). HIST3H3 is intronless and encodes a member of the histone H3 family. Transcripts from this gene lack polyA tails; instead, they contain a palindromic termination element. This gene is located separately from the other H3 genes that are in the histone gene cluster on chromosome 6p22-p21.3.H3T differs by 4 amino acid residues from the consensus mammalian H3 structure and shows the consensus promoter and 3-prime flanking portions typical of replication-dependent histones. Preliminary data indicated that H3t is expressed in testicular cells.