The many HATs of transcription coactivators

Histone acetylation is closely linked to gene transcription. The identifica tion of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and the large multiprotein comple xes in which they reside has yielded important insights into how these enzy mes regulate transcription. The demonstration that HAT complexes interact w ith sequence-specific activator proteins illustrates how these complexes ta rget specific genes. In addition to histones, some HATs can acetylate nonhi stone proteins suggesting multiple roles for these enzymes.