Roles of chromatin assembly factor 1 in the epigenetic control of chromatin plasticity

Abstract

Genetic information embedded in DNA sequence and the epigenetic information marked by modifications on DNA and histones are essential for the life of eukaryotes. Cells have evolved mechanisms of DNA duplication and chromatin restoration to ensure the inheritance of genetic and epigenetic information during cell division and development. In this review, we focus on the maintenance of epigenetic landscape during chromatin dynamics which requires the orchestration of histones and their chaperones. We discuss how epigenetic marks are re-established in the assembly of new chromatin after DNA replication and repair, highlighting the roles of CAF-1 in the process of changing chromatin state. The functions of CAF-1 provide a link between chromatin assembly and epigenetic restoration. © 2012 Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.