Biotin is not a natural histone modification

Proteomics in chromatin biology and epigenetics: Elucidation of post-translational modifications of histone proteins by mass spectrometry

“…Healy et al in 2009 reported a proof of the presence of biotin in vivo by using radiolabeling, western blotting, and mass spectrometry. However, by examination of previous reports on histone biotinylation, they reached the conclusion that the in vivo presence of this modification still has to be demonstrated [58]. In fact, methodologies used in previous articles were shown to produce artifacts in biotin detection.…”

The role of holocarboxylase synthetase in genome stability is mediated partly by epigenomic synergies between methylation and biotinylation events

“…The existence of biotinylated histones was recently questioned by Healy et al 12 but three independent laboratories, in addition to ours, confirmed that biotinylation is a natural histone modification. [13][14][15] These studies included analysis of histone biotinylation by mass spectrometry and suggested that, at least in Candida albicans, up to 50% of histones might be biotinylated.…”

Cytosine methylation in miR-153 gene promoters increases the expression of holocarboxylase synthetase, thereby increasing the abundance of histone H4 biotinylation marks in HEK-293 human kidney cells

“…The existence of biotinylated histones was recently questioned [40], thereby indirectly questioning the possibility of epigenetic cross-talk between biotin and folate. Please note that three independent laboratories [41-43], in addition to ours [4-6, 8, 9, 12], confirmed that biotinylation is a natural histone modification.…”