KAT6 and KAT7 actively maintain mitotic chromatin composition and acetylation to preserve developmental competence

KAT6 and KAT7 stay chromatin-bound and catalytically active through mitosis in mouse and human pluripotent stem cells, preserving mitotic histone acetylation and chromatin regulator retention.

• Why it matters: Active chromatin states must be molecularly maintained across division to enable correct postmitotic fate decisions, but the mechanisms linking mitotic acetylation to transcriptional memory and competence were unclear.
• What they did: The study used acute KAT6/7 depletion in mouse and human pluripotent stem cells to test mitotic histone acetylation and retention of chromatin regulators, then assessed postmitotic reactivation and neuronal differentiation after continued perturbation.
• The result: Loss of KAT6/7 disrupted mitotic acetylation and postmitotic transcriptional reactivation at self-renewal and developmental loci, and impaired genes failed to activate during neuronal differentiation, compromising neuronal program establishment and identity.

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