The ING (inhibitor of growth) protein family includes a group of homologous nuclear proteins that share a highly conserved plant homeodomain (PHD) finger domain at their carboxyl termini. Members of this family are found in multiprotein complexes that posttranslationally modify histones, suggesting that these proteins serve a general role in permitting various enzymatic activities to interact with nucleosomes. There are three members of the ING family in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Yng1p, Yng2p, and Pho23p. Yng1p is a component of the NuA3 histone acetyltransferase complex and is required for the interaction of NuA3 with chromatin. To gain insight into the function of the ING proteins, we made use of a genetic strategy to identify genes required for the binding of Yng1p to histones. Using the toxicity of YNG1 overexpression as a tool, we showed that Yng1p interacts with the amino-terminal tail of histone H3 and that this interaction can be disrupted by loss of lysine 4 methylation within this tail. Additionally, we mapped the region of Yng1p required for overexpression of toxicity to the PHD finger, showed that this region capable of binding lysine 4-methylated histone H3 in vitro, and demonstrated that mutations of the PHD finger that abolish binding in vitro are no longer toxic in vivo. These results identify a novel function for the Yng1p PHD finger in promoting stabilization of the NuA3 complex at chromatin through recognition of histone H3 lysine 4 methylation.Chromatin structure can be regulated by the addition of posttranslational modifications to histones, including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. These modifications are thought to function by creating docking sites for factors which alter chromatin structure (27,58). Consistent with this, several protein motifs have been identified that mediate the selective interaction of transcription-regulating complexes with specific histone modifications. The first such identified motif is the bromodomain, which preferentially interacts with acetylated histones (7,10,24,49,50,65). Bromodomains are found in a number of protein complexes, including components of the basal transcription machinery and chromatin remodeling complexes (20, 41), which may explain, in part, how histone acetylation can facilitate transcription. Bromodomains are also found in a number of histone methyltransferases, suggesting that histone acetylation can mediate histone methylation (6). The ability of one histone modification to recruit another histone-modifying enzyme is a common recurring theme in chromatin research.A second motif which has been shown to bind modified histones is the chromodomain, which preferentially interacts with methylated lysines (19,52). Chromodomains are found in proteins involved in both the activation and silencing of transcription, consistent with the role of histone methylation in both events (31). Similar to bromodomains, chromodomains are found in chromatin remodeling complexes, histone acetyltransferases, and histone methyltransfer...