Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42248887›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

The eutherian-specific histone H3.4 promotes germ cell development and reproductive fitness.

Pavel A Komarov, Philipp C Bammer, Ching-Yeu Liang, Hans-Rudolf Hotz, Grigorios Fanourgakis, Sunwoo Chun, Hubertus Kohler, Tim-Oliver Buchholz, Jean-Francois Spetz, Antoine H F M Peters

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Pavel A KomarovFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9482-0349
Philipp C Bammer *Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Ching-Yeu Liang *Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Hans-Rudolf HotzFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2799-424X
Grigorios FanourgakisFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4971-0786
Sunwoo ChunFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Hubertus KohlerFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Tim-Oliver BuchholzFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Jean-Francois SpetzFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Antoine H F M PetersFriedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland. antoine.peters@fmi.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0311-1887

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 31003A_146293
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Many genes encoding chromatin proteins are subject to evolutionary selection driving reproductive fitness. In mice and men, the H3f4 / H3-4 gene encoding the histone H3.4 variant (formerly known as H3t) is essential to spermatogenesis. Here we define the evolutionary origin and molecular-physiological roles of sequence variation in H3f4 for male germ cell development in mice. Our phylogenetic analyses indicate that eutherian H3f4 orthologs originate from an ancestral H3.2 gene existing prior to the divergence of eutherian and marsupial mammals over 100 million years ago. Positioned in small histone gene clusters, eutherian H3f4 orthologs show increased non-synonymous and synonymous substitution rates compared to orthologous marsupial H3.2 loci located in prototypal large histone clusters. To determine the impact of sequence divergence on reproductive fitness, we revert non-synonymously substituted residues in H3.4 to those present in canonical H3.1 (H3f4

Indexed as

Genetic FitnessHistonesReproductionSpermatogenesisAmino Acid SequenceAnimalsEvolution, MolecularMaleMeiosisMicePhylogenyTestisHistones

Identifiers

PMID42248887
PMCPMC13396413

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.