Bromodomains in living cells participate in deciphering the histone code

ABSTRACT: The bromodomain, a module of  ~110 amino acids, is found in several chromatin-associated proteins, including histone acetyltransferases and chromatin-remodeling factors, and can bind to acetylated lysines. Such post-translational modifications occur mainly in the N-terminal tail of the histone proteins and, in combination with other modifications, are thought to participate in defining a histone code. Recent findings provide a model for how bromodomain-containing proteins participate in the recognition of acetylated histones.