DNA repair in the context of chromatin represents a challenge both in terms of accessibility to the lesion and maintenance of genome stability. Histones, the main protein component of chromatin, can be subjected to a variety of post-translational modifications (PTMs) that impact on genome function by either directly affecting nucleosome stability or providing a docking site for distinct regulatory proteins. In this issue of EMBO Journal, Tjeertes et al investigate histone PTMs with a specific involvement in the DNA damage response (DDR).

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