Chromatin alterations brought by histone variants and modifications potentially regulate
gene transcription from tumor initiation to progression. Histone H3. 3 variant is one such
epigenetic player important for disease progression and development. Though many studies
have implicated H3. 3 role in cancer progression and metastasis, its regulation, importance
of specific modifications and chaperones have been not understood yet. We report DNA
methylation mediated downregulation of histone H3 variant H3. 3 in HCC and a concomitant …

H3. 3 variant is a versatile histone important for development and disease. We report a DNA
methylation dependent decrease of histone H3 variant H3. 3 in hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC) development and an increase in the level of the H3. 2 variant. The loss of H3. 3
correlates with a decrease in the histone PTMs associated with active transcription. The
overexpression of H3. 3 and H3. 2 did not affect global PTMs and cell physiology, probably
owing to the deregulation of specific histone chaperones CAF-1 (for H3. 2) and HIRA (for H3 …