Involvement of the H3.3 Histone Variant in the Epigenetic Regulation of Gene Expression in the Nervous System, in Both Physiological and Pathological Conditions

Abstract

All the cells of an organism contain the same genome. However, each cell expresses only a minor fraction of its potential and, in particular, the genes encoding the proteins necessary for basal metabolism and the proteins responsible for its specific phenotype. The ability to use only the right and necessary genes involved in specific functions depends on the structural organization of the nuclear chromatin, which in turn depends on the epigenetic history of each cell, which is stored in the form of a collection of DNA and protein modifications. Among these modifications, DNA methylation and many kinds of post-translational modifications of histones play a key role in organizing the complex indexing of usable genes. In addition, non-canonical histone proteins (also known as histone variants), the synthesis of which is not directly linked with DNA replication, are used to mark specific regions of the genome. Here, we will discuss the role of the H3.3 histone variant, with particular attention to its loading into chromatin in the mammalian nervous system, both in physiological and pathological conditions. Indeed, chromatin modifications that mark cell memory seem to be of special importance for the cells involved in the complex processes of learning and memory.