A New DNA Methyltransferase-Histone Deacetylase-Kinase Axis in Innate Immunity.

Regulatory roles of protein and DNA modifications in gene expression during host defense have long been appreciated. In a recent article published in Nature Immunology, Li et al. (2016) provide a unique glimpse of yet another aspect of coordinated DNA methylation and protein acetylation in host response to pathogenic stimuli. They elegantly demonstrate that DNA methylation and transcriptional activation at the HDAC9 promoter by DNMT3a, along with lysine deacetylation of TBK1 by HDAC9, are essential events during host defense.