HDAC8, also known as histone deacetylase 8, belongs to class 1 of the histone deacetylase/acuc/apha family. This protein is biologically involved in skull morphogenesis and metabolic control of the ERR-alpha/PGC1-alpha transcriptional complex. Histones play a critical role in transcriptional regulation, cell cycle progression, and developmental events. Histone acetylation/deacetylation alters chromosome structure and affects transcription factor access to DNA.