Phosphorylation of histone H4 Ser1 regulates sporulation in yeast and is conserved in fly and mouse spermatogenesis

A demonstration that the histone H4 Ser1 is phosphorylated (H4 S1ph) during sporulation, starting from the mid-sporulation and persisting to germination, and is temporally distinct from earlier meiosis-linked H3 S10ph involved in chromosome condensation is presented. S1ph is found to be present during Drosphilia melangaster and mouse spermatogenesis, and similar to yeast, this modification extends late into sperm differentiation relative to H3 S10ph.