Polycomb group proteins are involved in the epigenetic maintenance of repressive chromatin states, with the gene-silencing activity of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) dependent on its ability to trimethylate lysine 27 of histone H3. The carboxy-terminal domain of the EED subunit of the complex is now shown to specifically bind to histone tails carrying trimethyl-lysine residues associated with repressive chromatin marks, leading to activation of the methyltransferase activity of PRC2.
- Raphael Margueron
- Neil Justin
- Steven J. Gamblin
