: any of various simple water-soluble proteins that are rich in the basic amino acids lysine and arginine and are complexed with DNA in the nucleosomes of eukaryotic chromatin
Examples of histone in a Sentence
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There, enzymes break down the metabolites into epigenetic marks known as acetyl groups and place them on histones to activate one set of genes.
—
Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
The meters-long strand of DNA in every cell is wound around proteins called histones.
—Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Within each cell, the scientists were able to map out changes to histones, proteins that help control the release of other proteins called cytokines, which help regulate inflammation and can impact pregnancy, according to the study.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2024
Ultimately, the researchers found that PM 2.5 exposure can affect histone patterns in pregnant individuals in a way that disrupts cytokine genes and causes increased inflammation in both parent and child.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2024
Attachment of these markers to DNA helps relax histone proteins, enabling chromatin to open.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Work in animal models has also shown that exercise changes gene expression by altering both histones and the molecular tags directly attached to DNA.
—Karla Kaun, Discover Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024
In their new study, scientists at McGill University in Canada, used genetic engineering to alter the activity of one of the histone proteins that controls epigenetic processes – KDM1A histone lysine 4 demethylase – during the production of sperm in mice.
—Paul Haggarty, Discover Magazine, 13 Oct. 2015
The histone in question is one known as PRDM2.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 11 Oct. 2022
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Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
The meters-long strand of DNA in every cell is wound around proteins called histones.
—Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Within each cell, the scientists were able to map out changes to histones, proteins that help control the release of other proteins called cytokines, which help regulate inflammation and can impact pregnancy, according to the study.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2024
Ultimately, the researchers found that PM 2.5 exposure can affect histone patterns in pregnant individuals in a way that disrupts cytokine genes and causes increased inflammation in both parent and child.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2024
Attachment of these markers to DNA helps relax histone proteins, enabling chromatin to open.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Work in animal models has also shown that exercise changes gene expression by altering both histones and the molecular tags directly attached to DNA.
—Karla Kaun, Discover Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024
In their new study, scientists at McGill University in Canada, used genetic engineering to alter the activity of one of the histone proteins that controls epigenetic processes – KDM1A histone lysine 4 demethylase – during the production of sperm in mice.
—Paul Haggarty, Discover Magazine, 13 Oct. 2015
The histone in question is one known as PRDM2.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 11 Oct. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Histone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/histone. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
histone
noun
his·tone
ˈhis-ˌtōn 
: any of various simple water-soluble proteins that are rich in the basic amino acids lysine and arginine and are complexed with DNA in the nucleosomes of eukaryotic chromatin
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