Single-molecule imaging reveals diverse, megabase-scale heterochromatin domains in C. elegans. Some resemble TADs and depend on condensin I; others are independent of condensin and histone H3K9me, inc...

A histone ubiquitin-dependent regulatory hub governs stimulus-dependent heterochromatin propagation, with important implications for understanding mechanisms governing rapid changes in the epigen...

A histone ubiquitin-dependent regulatory hub governs stimulus-dependent heterochromatin propagation, with important implications for understanding mechanisms governing rapid changes in the epigenetic landscape in physiology and disease.

Replication stress induces the formation of transient chromatin loops that enclose de novo heterochromatin-enriched stalled replication forks.

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 02 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41594-026-01895-4Single-molecule imaging reveals diverse, megabase-scale heterochromatin domains in C. elegans. Some resemble TADs and depend on condensin I; others are independent of condensin and histone H3K9me, including one domain that encloses the 5S rDNA locus.

Subtelomeres are imperfect repeats adjacent to telomeres that are repressed by heterochromatin. Although essential for genome integrity, their repetitive nature has thwarted dissection of local hetero...

Heterochromatin formation is pivotal in many eukaryotes with repetitive sequences, such as transposable elements (TEs). However, in plants, where the known de novo DNA methylation mechanism (RdDM) targets euchromatin, how heterochromatin is formed in a region-specific manner remains unclear. We previously reported an RdDM-independent de novo establishment of H3K9me and non-CpG methylation, both of which localize in heterochromatin. Here we show that the mutually exclusive histone H2A variants, H2A.W and H2A.Z, function as guides to initiate heterochromatin formation; H2A.W and H2A.Z promotes and inhibits heterochromatin establishment, respectively, especially in chromosomal arm regions with dispersed TEs. In contrast, pericentromeric TEs demonstrate autonomous heterochromatin formation, less dependently on these H2A variants. Furthermore, H2A.Z protects protein-coding genes from ectopic heterochromatin formation, possibly by preventing its spreading. We propose that the genome indexing

Tatarakis et al. study how H3K9me3 heterochromatin is formed and inherited in mammalian cells. Using a synthetic heterochromatin assembly system and genetic screens, they uncover requirements for init...