About the Cover
Cover image

ABOUT THE COVER
In this issue, a study by Brückmann and colleagues (beginning on page 417) demonstrates a novel epigenetic perturbation specific to premalignant and malignant cells. They show that chromosome 1q12 pericentromeric satellite DNA is epigenetically reprogrammed into a polycomb state forming subnuclear domains called polycomb bodies. The cover image shows the chromatin-associated distribution of polycomb protein BMI1 in the gallbladder, as it occurs in non-malignant tissues. This shift in epigenetic regulation of 1q12 satellite DNA presented by the authors may be used as an early diagnostic marker or new therapeutic target.