Gene Regulation by Histone H1: New Links to DNA Methylation

Linker histones of the H1 family are among the most abundant components of chromatin. In this issue of Cell, Fan et al. (2005) examine the effect of H1 downregulation on gene expression. Although a 50% reduction of histone H1 levels in embryonic stem cells affects chromatin structure globally, the expression of very few genes is altered. Intriguingly, this study reveals a new link between H1 and DNA methylation