The histone variant H2A.Z is involved in several processes such as transcriptional control, DNA repair, regulation of centromeric heterochromatin and, not surprisingly, is implicated in diseases such as cancer. Here, we review the recent developments on H2A.Z focusing on its role in transcriptional activation and repression. H2A.Z, as a replication-independent histone, has been studied in several model organisms and inducible mammalian model systems. Its loading machinery and several modifying enzymes have been recently identified, and some of the long-standing discrepancies in transcriptional activation and/or repression are about to be resolved. The buffering functions of H2A.Z, as supported by genome-wide localization and analyzed in several dynamic systems, are an excellent example of transcriptional control. Posttranslational modifications such as acetylation and ubiquitination of H2A.Z, as well as its specific binding partners, are in our view central players in the control of gene expression. Understanding the key-mechanisms in either turnover or stabilization of H2A.Z-containing nucleosomes as well as defining the H2A.Z interactome will pave the way for therapeutic applications in the future.

中文翻译：

---

基因调节中的组蛋白变体H2A.Z。

组蛋白变体H2A.Z涉及多个过程，例如转录控制，DNA修复，着丝粒异染色质的调节，并且毫不奇怪地，它与诸如癌症的疾病有关。在这里，我们回顾H2A.Z的最新进展，重点是其在转录激活和抑制中的作用。H2A.Z，作为一种不依赖复制的组蛋白，已经在几种模型生物和可诱导的哺乳动物模型系统中进行了研究。最近已经确定了它的加载机制和几种修饰酶，并且在转录激活和/或抑制方面的一些长期差异也将得到解决。H2A.Z的缓冲功能得到了全基因组定位的支持，并在几个动态系统中进行了分析，是转录控制的一个很好的例子。在我们看来，翻译后修饰（例如H2A.Z的乙酰化和泛素化）及其特异性结合伴侣是控制基因表达的核心角色。了解含有H2A.Z的核小体更新或稳定的关键机制以及定义H2A.Z相互作用组将为将来的治疗应用铺平道路。