Histone modification can also attract DNA methyltransferases to initiate cytosine methylation, which in turn can reinforce histone modification patterns conducive to silencing.

DNA and histone methylation coregulate heterochromatin formation and gene silencing in animals and plants. To identify factors involved in maintaining gene silencing, we conducted a forward genetic ...

Expanding the histone code Researchers continue to find new chemical modifications on the proteins our genes are wrapped around. Why are they there?

Scientists have observed changes to the gene-regulating factors during zebrafish development and discovered that modifications to 'histone H3', one of the proteins around which DNA is bound, play ...

While each cell contains the complete genetic blueprint of an organism, chemical marks on the DNA – so-called epigenetic modifications – control which genes are active when and where. A team ...