Small histone differences help shape gene regulation during sperm development

Researchers from Kyushu University have found that H3mm15, a histone H3.3 subvariant, contributes to normal sperm development in mice by helping regulate gene expression during spermatogenesis. The findings show that H3mm15 cannot be interchanged with conventional H3.3; although the proteins differ at only three amino acids, they behave differently in chromatin, the DNA-protein structure that packages genetic material.