Signaling through chromatin: setting the scene at kinetochores

Abstract

Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation needed for transcription is mediated by the Set1 methyltransferase and requires prior monoubiquitination of histone H2B. In this issue, Latham et al. (2011) report that dimethylation of the yeast kinetochore protein Dam1 by Set1 similarly requires H2B monoubiquitination. Thus, H2B ubiquitination signals for methylation beyond chromatin.