Embryonic stem cells are characterized by unique epigenetic features including 
decondensed chromatin and hyperdynamic association of chromatin proteins with 
chromatin. Here we investigate the potential mechanisms that regulate chromatin 
plasticity in embryonic stem cells. Using epigenetic drugs and mutant embryonic 
stem cells lacking various chromatin proteins, we find that histone acetylation, 
G9a-mediated histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation and lamin A expression, all 
affect chromatin protein dynamics. Histone acetylation controls, almost 
exclusively, euchromatin protein dynamics; lamin A expression regulates 
heterochromatin protein dynamics, and G9a regulates both euchromatin and 
heterochromatin protein dynamics. In contrast, we find that DNA methylation and 
nucleosome repeat length have little or no effect on chromatin-binding protein 
dynamics in embryonic stem cells. Altered chromatin dynamics associates with 
perturbed embryonic stem cell differentiation. Together, these data provide 
mechanistic insights into the epigenetic pathways that are responsible for 
chromatin plasticity in embryonic stem cells, and indicate that the genome's 
epigenetic state modulates chromatin plasticity and differentiation potential of 
embryonic stem cells.