Histone H2A-like 1 (H2al1a)

Atypical histone H2A which can replace conventional H2A in certain nucleosomes and might play a role during spermatogenesis. Nucleosomes compact and wrap DNA into chromatin, limiting DNA accessibility to the cellular machineries which require DNA as a template.

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