Definition of Histone
1. Noun. A simple protein containing mainly basic amino acids; present in cell nuclei in association with nucleic acids.
Definition of Histone
1. a simple protein [n -S]
Medical Definition of Histone
1.
Protein found in the nuclei of all eukaryotic cells where they are complexed to DNA in chromatin and chromosomes. They are of relatively low molecular weight and are basic, having a very high arginine/lysine content. They are highly conserved and can be grouped into five major classes. Two copies of H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 bind to about 200 base pairs of DNA to form the repeating structure of chromatin, the nucleosome, with H1 binding to the linker sequence. They may act as non-specific repressors of gene transcription.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Histone
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