Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), a highly conserved non-histone chromosomal protein in eukaryotes, plays important roles in the regulation of gene transcription. Each of the three human homologs of HP1 includes a chromoshadow domain (CSD). The CSD interacts with various proteins bearing the PXVXL motif but also with a region of histone H3 that bears the similar PXXVXL motif. The latter interaction has not yet been resolved in atomic detail. Here we demonstrate that the CSDs of all three human HP1 homologs have comparable affinities to the PXXVXL motif of histone H3.
