Article
Article
Histone
Article By:
Vitalini, Michael W. Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Wallrath, Lori L. Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.461000
Any of the small, positively charged proteins responsible for packaging the genetic material (DNA) of eukaryotic organisms. Histones were first isolated from avian blood and described in 1884 by Albrecht Kossel, a discovery that contributed to his winning of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1910. Initially, the function of histones was thought to be strictly structural, acting to compact DNA to a size small enough to be contained within the cell nucleus. Today, histones are also recognized as playing important roles in regulating gene expression through interactions with DNA and nonhistone chromosomal proteins. See also: Chromosome; Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); Gene; Protein
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
