Work on the structure and function of histones in ancient, simple cells has made the central importance of these proteins to gene regulation even clearer. Billions of years ago, archaea were already using histones, but with looser rules and much more variety. By curving the DNA around the nucleosome, the histones prevent it from clumping together and keep it functional. With more DNA, cells could wrap more nucleosomes and enable the histones to reduce more copper, which would support more mitochondrial activity. It wasn’t just that histones allowed for more DNA, but more DNA allowed for more histones.

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