New chaps in the histone chaperone arena

Understanding exactly how chromatin is assembled is paramount to addressing how select histone modifications may be transmitted, a putative epigenetic process. In the June 15, 2010, issue of Genes & Development, Drane and colleagues (pp. 1253-1265) identified DAXX as a novel H3.3-specific chaperone. This finding, in the context of others published by Goldberg and colleauges in Cell and Sawatsubashi and colleagues (pp. 159-170) in the January 15, 2010, issue of Genes & Development, provides the impetus for uncovering the mechanistic and functional properties of alternative histone deposition pathways.