The post-translational acetylation of the core histones was first recognised more than a quarter of a century ago (Allfrey et al. 1964). Since then, considerable research effort has been expended in attempting to reveal the mechanisms by which acetylation is controlled and, most importantly, its functional significance. The reasons for the interest in this phenomenon are not hard to find. The intimate association of histones with cellular DNA and their extreme conservation through evolution both make it likely that any change in their structure, particularly one that involves a change in net charge, will have an effect on chromatin function. Thus, as frequently stated in introductory paragraphs, histone acetylation is potentially a major influence on events such as transcription, replication, DNA packaging through the cell cycle and DNA repair. However, despite the conceptual appeal of such a central role, definitive evidence is lacking and we have intriguing...

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