Core histone macro-H2A.1 (MACROH2A1)

Variant histone H2A which replaces conventional H2A in a subset of nucleosomes in which it represses transcription (PubMed:12718888, PubMed:15621527, PubMed:16428466). Nucleosomes compact and wrap DNA into chromatin, limiting DNA accessibility to the cellular machineries which require DNA as a template.

Histones thereby play a central role in transcription regulation, DNA repair, DNA replication and chromosomal stability. DNA accessibility is regulated via a complex set of post-translational modifications of histones, also called histone code, and nucleosome remodeling.