p-Histone H2B Anticuerpo(Ser 14): sc-31671

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In eukaryotes, DNA is wrapped around histone octamers to form the basic unit of chromatin structure. The octamer is composed of histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 and it associates with approximately 200 base pairs of DNA to form the nucleosome. The association of DNA with histones results in dense packing of chromatin, which restricts proteins involved in gene transcription from binding to DNA. Histone H2B, which is not usually phosphorylated in quiescent or growing cells, is phosphorylated after treatment with various apoptotic inducers. Histone H2B phosphorylation occurs universally in apoptotic cells and is associated with apoptosis-specific nucleosomal DNA fragmentation making it a biochemical hallmark of apoptotic cells. Phosphorylation of Histone H2B at serine 14 correlates with cells undergoing programmed cell death in vertebrates. Mst1 (mammalian sterile twenty kinase) can phosphorylate H2B at Ser 14 in vitro and in vivo, and the onset of H2B Ser 14 phosphorylation is dependent upon cleavage of Mst1 by caspase-3.