組蛋白是負責真核生物染色體纖維核小體結構的基本核蛋白。四個核心組蛋白（h2a、h2b、h3和h4）中的兩個分子形成一個八聚體，大約146bp的DNA被包裹在一個稱為核小體的重復單元中。連接組蛋白h1與核小體之間的連接DNA相互作用，并在染色質壓縮成高階結構的過程中發揮作用。這個基因包含內含子，它的mRNA是多聚腺苷酸化的，不像大多數組蛋白基因。編碼的蛋白是組蛋白H3家族的一個不依賴復制的成員。
Histones are basic nuclear proteins that are responsible for the nucleosome structure of the chromosomal fiber in eukaryotes. Two molecules of each of the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) form an octamer, around which approximately 146 bp of DNA is wrapped in repeating units, called nucleosomes. The linker histone, H1, interacts with linker DNA between nucleosomes and functions in the compaction of chromatin into higher order structures. This gene contains introns and its mRNA is polyadenylated, unlike most histone genes. The protein encoded is a replication-independent member of the histone H3 family.