Identification and characterization of two novel primate-specific histone H3 variants H3.X and H3.Y

Nucleosomal incorporation of specialized histone variants is an important mechanism to generate different functional chromatin states. Here we report the identification and characterization of two novel primate-specific histone H3 variants, H3.X and H3.Y. Their mRNAs are found in certain human cell lines, in addition to several normal and malignant human tissues. In keeping with their primate-specificity, H3.X and H3.Y are detected in different brain regions. Transgenic H3.X and H3.Y proteins are stably incorporated into chromatin in a similar fashion to the known H3 variants. Importantly, we demonstrate biochemically and by mass spectrometry that endogenous posttranslationally modified H3.Y protein exists in vivo, and that stress-stimuli, such as starvation and cellular density, increase the abundance of H3.Y-expressing cells. Global transcriptome analysis revealed that knock-down of H3.Y affects cell growth and leads to changes in the expression of many genes involved in cell cycle control. Thus, H3.Y is a novel histone variant involved in the regulation of cellular responses to outside stimuli. Total RNA samples from human U2OS cells. Transcript levels after luciferase, H3.X and/or H3.Y RNAi was analyzed.