| Methyl CpG binding domain 1 ( MBD 1 ) interacts with the Suv39h1 HP 1 heterochromatic complex for DNA methylation based transcriptional repression . ^^^ Here we show that histone H 3 methylase Suv39h1 and the methyl lysine binding protein HP 1 directly interact with MBD of MBD 1 in vitro and in cells . ^^^ Suv39h1 was found to enhance MBD 1 mediated transcriptional repression via MBD but not via the C terminal transcriptional repression domain of MBD 1 . ^^^ Furthermore , MBD 1 links to histone deacetylases through Suv39h1 , resulting in methylation and deacetylation of histones for gene inactivation . ^^^ These data indicate that MBD 1 may tether the Suv39h1 HP 1 complex to methylated DNA regions , suggesting the presence of a pathway from DNA methylation to the modifications of histones for epigenetic gene regulation . . ^^^ |