| Histone H1 is a protein important in DNA packing. DNA packing is condensing of chromatin into chromosomes. This processes allows a very large amount of DNA to fit into the nucleus of a cell. The primary unit of DNA packing is a nucleosome. It consists of about 200 bps of DNA rapped around a eight-histone complex. Histone H1 holds secures the DNA to the histone complex. (See Figure 1). To see a RasMol image of Histone H1 click here. To see this result of a MacDNAsis analysis of histone H1 click here. | |
Fig. 1. Nucleosome made up
of DNA (red), Histone octomer (black) and Histone H1 (green). (Permission
to use requested)
Histone H1 is very important for any cell that
has chromosomes. Because it is so prevalent, histone H1 can be used
to compare genetic changes among many different organisms. Below
are the results of a GenBank search for histone H1 in 5 different eukaryotic
organisms. Click on the genus/species name of each organism to retrieve
the histone h1 gene information for that organism.
| Organism | Amino acid sequence? | Nucleotide sequence? |
| Homo sapiens | Yes | Yes, whole gene |
| Echinolampas crassa | Yes | No |
| Mus musculus | Yes | No |
| Drosophila melanogaster | Yes | No |
| Mytilus edulis | Yes | Yes, whole gene |
To view the results of a MacDNAsis analysis using histone click here.
