Histones are basic nuclear proteins that are responsible for the nucleosome structure of the chromosomal fiber in eukaryotes. Nucleosomes consist of approximately 146 bp of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer composed of pairs of each of the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4). 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. The protein encoded is a replication-independent histone that is a member of the histone H1 family. This gene contains introns, unlike most histone genes. The related mouse gene is expressed only in oocytes. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2015]