Functional significance of histone deacetylase diversity

Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of histone deacetylases is emerging as a major step in determining the composition, and hence the activity, of the corresponding nuclear regulatory complexes. This shuffling process is one of the distinctive characteristics of these enzymes, themselves belonging to structurally and functionally different classes. Considering the specific features of each class of deacetylases, it is possible to determine how each member can contribute to particular cellular functions.