Lysine demethylase 4A: from chromatin to centrosomes

The lysine demethylase 4A (KDM4A) remodels chromatin by histone demethylation, regulating gene expression. In this issue, Chowdhury et al. report a previously undescribed localisation for KDM4A outside the nucleus, at the pericentriolar material around the centrosome. KDM4A interacts with centrosome proteins, and its loss or inhibition leads to centrosome amplification or fragmentation, which in turn perturbs mitosis and causes genome instability. These findings suggest a link between chromatin regulation and control of centrosome number, through the regulation of KDM4A-dependent lysine methylation.