The three most common modifications in constitutive heterochromatin are histone hypoacetylation, histone H3-Lys9 methylation (H3K9), and cytosine methylation. These modifications are also found in other types of DNA, but much less frequently. Cytosine methylation is the most common type, although it is not found in all eukaryotes. In humans there is increased methylation at the centromeres and telomeres, which are composed of constitutive heterochromatin. These modifications can persist through both mitosis and meiosis and are heritable. SUV39H1 is a histone methyltransferase that methylates H3K9, providing a binding site for heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1). HP1 is involved in the chromatin condensing process that makes DNA inaccessible for transcription. Diseases Genetic disorders that result from mutations involving the constitutive heterochromatin tend to affect cell differentiation and are inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Disorders include Roberts syndrome and ICF syndrome. Some cancers are associated with anomalies in constitutive heterochromatin and the proteins involved in its formation and maintenance. Breast cancer is linked to a decrease in the HP1 alpha protein, while non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is linked to hypomethylation of the genome and especially of satellite regions. References DNA Telomeres