[5][6][7] Histones are basic nuclear proteins that are responsible for the nucleosome structure of the chromosomal fiber in eukaryotes.

The chromatin fiber is further compacted through the interaction of a linker histone, H1, with the DNA between the nucleosomes to form higher order chromatin structures.

This gene encodes a member of the histone H2A family.

It replaces conventional H2A histones in a subset of nucleosomes where it represses transcription and participates in stable X chromosome inactivation.

Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms.