Methylation of H4 lysines 5, 8 and 12 by yeast Set5 calibrates chromatin stress responses

Numerous methylated residues exist on histone tails, the functional significance of which remains unknown. New studies in budding yeast now identify monomethylation of histone H4 lysine residues 5, 8 and 12 as functionally important marks that regulate cell growth and stress responses and are catalyzed by the first known H4 methyltransferase in budding yeast, Set5.