表观遗传学现象指非基因突变导致的可继承的性状变化。多数经典表观遗传学现象均由染色质修饰决定，这些染色质修饰也被称为表观遗传修饰。然而表观遗传修饰在有丝分裂过程中如何被子代细胞继承却不甚明了。申请人对这一科学问题的一系列研究，深化了对表观遗传修饰继承性机制的理解。主要成果为：通过对组蛋白修饰在单核小体中的对称性研究、组蛋白八聚体在复制过程中分配模式的研究、和组蛋白修饰在新装配的核小体上建立的动力学过程研究，排除了组蛋白修饰以高精度方式得以继承的模型，提出了组蛋白修饰继承性的“缓冲”模型。发现了组蛋白H3K27甲基化酶PRC2的活性受H3K36甲基化修饰和染色质的致密状态调节，并提出组蛋白修饰酶PRC2通过感知其底物染色质的转录状态而调节自身活性，从而实现表观遗传修饰的继承。研究工作发表于Science，EMBO Reports和JBC等学术期刊。

Epigenetics studies heritable changes without alteration at the DNA sequence level. Most classic epigenetic phenomena are determined by chromatin modifications, which are often referred to as "epigenetic modifications". How daughter cells acquire their epigenetic modifications during mitotic divisions remains enigmatic. Studies from the applicant's group strengthened our understanding about this important question. By examining the symmetry of histone modifications within mononucleosomes, interrogating the distribution pattern of histones during replication-dependent chromatin assembly, and monitoring the kinetics of the establishment of the histone modifications on the newly deposited nucleosomes, the applicant’s group ruled out a high stringent model for epigenetic inheritance. Instead, they proposed a "buffer model" to unify the faithful epigenetic silencing and the observed imprecise inheritance of epigenetic modifications. Furthermore, the applicant's group discovered that the histone H3K27 methyltransferase complex PRC2 can respond to chromatin states, including H3K36 methylation and the density of chromatin. They propose that epigenetic modifying enzyme PRC2 can sense the transcriptional activity of its target chromatin and adjust its enzymatic activity, which maintains the epigenetic modifications and transcriptional states of the target genes. Studies from the applicant's group have been published in Science，EMBO Reports and The Journal of Biological Chemistry, etc.