How HP1 post-translational modifications regulate heterochromatin formation and maintenance

Abstract

Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) is a highly conserved protein that has been used as a classic marker for heterochromatin. HP1 binds to di-and tri-methylated histone H3K9 and regulates heterochromatin formation, functions and structure. Besides the well-established phosphorylation of histone H3 Ser10 that has been shown to modulate HP1 binding to chromatin, several studies have recently highlighted the importance of HP1 post-translational modifications and additional epigenetic features for the modulation of HP1-chromatin binding ability and heterochromatin formation. In this review, we summarize the recent literature of HP1 post-translational modifications that have contributed to understand how heterochromatin is formed, regulated and maintained.