Histone H2B isoform H2bc27 is expressed in the developing brain of mouse embryos

Abstract

Histones bind directly to DNA and play a role in regulating gene expression mediated by chromatin structure. DNA sequences of these histone genes are quite similar, which has hindered individual analyses. The exact function of the 13 different isoforms of histone H2B remains unclear. In this report, a comprehensive gene expression analysis of the H2B isoforms, focusing on tissue specificity, was conducted. We generated mice lacking the H2bc27 gene, which exhibited brain-specific expression of E14.5, and proceeded to characterize the brain tissue. The phenotype of H2bc27 knockout brains was similar to that of wild-type brains, yet transcriptome analysis indicated that H2bc27 is associated with regulating the expression of several functional genes involved in mouse brain development. The methods used in this study may serve to facilitate comprehensive H2B isoform analysis.