Structural basis for H2A–H2B recognitions by human Spt16

The human facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) complex, consisting of Spt16 and SSRP1, is a versatile histone chaperone that can engage free H2A–H2B dimer and H3–H4 tetramer (or dimer), and partially unraveled nucleosome. The C-terminal domain of human Spt16 (hSpt16-CTD) is the decisive element for engaging H2A–H2B dimer and partially unraveled nucleosome. The molecular basis of the H2A–H2B dimer recognitions by hSpt16-CTD is not fully comprehended. Here, we present a high-resolution snapshot of the recognitions of the H2A–H2B dimer by hSpt16-CTD via an acidic intrinsically disordered (AID) segment, and reveal some distinct structural features of hSpt16-CTD as compared to the budding yeast Spt16-CTD.