The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a physiological process activated during early embryogenesis, which continues to shape tissues and organs later on. It is also hijacked by tumor cells during metastasis. The regulation of EMT has been the focus of many research groups culminating in the last few years and resulting in an elaborate transcriptional network buildup. However, the implication of epigenetic factors in the control of EMT is still in its infancy. Recent discoveries pointed out that histone variants, which are key epigenetic players, appear to be involved in EMT control. This review summarizes the available data on histone variants' function in EMT that would contribute to a better understanding of EMT itself and EMT-related diseases.
Keywords: chromatin; epigenetics; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; histone variants; nucleosomes.