Question

What is the role of histone H1 in eukaryotic chromatin?

Options

• A linker histone that binds linker DNA between nucleosomes; NOT part of the octamer

• A histone that introduces supercoils into DNA

• A histone that binds to non-histone chromosomal proteins

• A core histone that forms the structural base of the nucleosome

Answer 1

Histone H1 is the linker histone that binds to linker DNA at the entry and exit sites of nucleosomes, helping to stabilise chromatin structure. Unlike the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, H4) that form the octamer core, H1 is not part of the histone octamer and plays a regulatory role in higher-order chromatin folding.