Table 3 Human canonical and non-canonical core histones of the H3 family with their chromosomal location, expression and function

Canonical H3 core histones

1

HIST1H3A

H3.1

6p22.2 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

2

HIST1H3B

6p22.2 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

3

HIST1H3C

6p22.2 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

4

HIST1H3D

6p22.2 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

5

HIST1H3E

6p22.2 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

6

HIST1H3F

6p22.2 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

7

HIST1H3G

6p22.2 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

8

HIST1H3H

6p22.1 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

9

HIST1H3I

6p22.1 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

10

HIST1H3J

6p22.1 (in histone cluster 1)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

11

HIST2H3A

H3.2

1q21.2 (in histone cluster 2)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

12

HIST2H3C

1q21.2 (in histone cluster 2)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

13

HIST2H3D

1q21.2 (in histone cluster 2)

Replication-dependent

Core component of nucleosome

[18]

14

HIST3H3 (or H3-4)

H3.1t (or H3.4)^§

1q42.13 (in histone cluster 3)

Replication-dependent and tissue-specific (testis-specific)

Core component of nucleosome

[18, 34]

Non-canonical H3 core histones

1

H3-3A and H3-3B

H3.3

1q42.12 and 17q25.1

Replication-independent

Induction of gene activation and involvement in gene expression regulation

[35, 36]

2

CENPA

CENP-A

2p23.3

Replication-independent

Required for recruitment and assembly of kinetochore proteins and progression through mitosis, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis

[37,38,39,40]

3

H3F3C (or H3-5)

H3.3C (or H3.5)

12p11.21

Replication-independent (specifically in seminiferous tubules of testis)

Colocalization with euchromatin and association with actively transcribed genes

[41]

4

H3Y2

H3.X (or H3.Y2)

5p15.1

Replication-independent

Not yet clarified

[42]

5

H3Y1

H3.Y (or H3.Y1)

5p15.1

Replication-independent

Involvement in the regulation of cellular responses to stress stimuli and regulation of transcription

[42, 43]