Articles of Significant Interest Selected from This Issue by the Editors

Abstract

Histone variants and modifications are linked to epigenetic regulation of gene expression through altering nucleosome dynamics and stability. Guan and Liu (p. 578 –587) show that deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z by the chromatin remodeling complex SWR1 regulates switching between the white and opaque epigenetic states in Candida albicans. Deletion of SWR1 promotes the opaque state. SWR1 affects differential nucleosome positioning between the white and opaque states on the promoter of WOR1, the master regulator of switching. H2A.Z enrichment in this region in white cells suggests its role in establishing a repressive chromatin state. Finally, the authors demonstrate a synthetic lethal interaction between swr1 and H3K56 acetylation, which also promotes the opaque state. Their findings identify a novel genetic interaction between swr1 and H3K56 acetylation with implications for epigenetic regulation on the level of nucleosome dynamics and stability.