Histone H3.3S31ph rabbit antibody (pAb)

Histone H3.3 (H3F3) is a variant of histone H3 that contains a serine (S) to alanine (A) replacement at amino acid position 31. This variant Histone H3.3 has been found to replace conventional histone H3 in nucleosomes of active genes. Histones are basic nuclear proteins that are responsible for the nucleosome structure of the chromosomal fiber in eukaryotes. Nucleosomes consist of approximately 146 bp of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer composed of pairs of each of the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4). The chromatin fiber is further compacted through the interaction of a linker histone, H1, with the DNA between the nucleosomes to form higher order chromatin structures. Histone variants differ in amino acid sequence from their core histone counterparts and in some cases have also been shown to have functional differences to the more typical histones. Histone variant H3.3 is the predominant form of histone H3 in non-dividing cells. Phosphorylation of serine 31 of histone variant H3.3 is specific to regions bordering centromeres in metaphase chromosomes. (Reference: Hake et al. (2005) PNAS 102: 6344-6349.)