The chromatin unfolding domain of chromosomal protein HMG-14 targets the N-terminal tail of histone H3 in nucleosomes.

Nonhistone chromosomal protein HMG-14 is a nucleosomal binding protein that unfolds the higher-order chromatin structure and enhances the transcriptional potential of chromatin, but not that of DNA. Both the transcriptional enhancement and the chromatin unfolding activities of HMG-14 are mediated through the C-terminal region of the protein. Here we study the molecular interactions of both this region and the N-terminal region of HMG-14 with nucleosome cores. By protein photocrosslinking we demonstrate that the N-terminal domain of HMG-14 targets a restricted region in histone H2B, whereas the C-terminal chromatin unfolding domain of HMG-14 targets a restricted region in the N terminus of histone H3. The N-terminal regions of the core histones are involved in the folding of oligonucleosomes and are the target of various activities associated with chromatin unfolding and transcriptional activation. We suggest that specific interactions between the C-terminal domain of HMG-14 and the N-terminal tail of histone H3 reduce the compaction of chromatin. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanism whereby HMG-14/-17 proteins reduce the repressive effect of chromatin, and they also broaden the scope of the molecular interactions involving the N termini of the core histones in nucleosomes.