Core histone macro-H2A.2 (H2afy2)

Variant histone H2A which replaces conventional H2A at a subset of nucleosomes where it represses transcription. Nucleosomes compact and wrap DNA into chromatin, restricting DNA access to the cellular machineries which require DNA as a template.

Histones thus play a central role in transcription regulation, DNA repair, DNA replication and chromosomal stability. DNA accessibility is regulated via a complex set of post- translational modifications of histones, also known as histone code, and nucleosome remodeling.