Cleavage of histone H2A during embryonic stem cell differentiation destabilizes nucleosomes to counteract gene activation - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #stem cell differentiation
- #nucleosome stability
- #histone proteolysis
- Histone H2A is cleaved by Cathepsin L during mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation, primarily at site L23.
- The cleaved form of H2A (cH2A) reaches about 1% of total H2A after four days of differentiation and is associated with active gene marks.
- Preventing H2A proteolysis increases acetylated H2A at promoters in differentiated cells, affecting gene activation.
- Cleavage disrupts recognition of acetylated H2A by readers like PBAF complex members in pluripotent cells.
- cH2A-containing nucleosomes are less stable or turn over faster than those with full-length H2A, aiding in silencing pluripotency genes.