αNAC interacts with histone deacetylase corepressors to control Myogenin and Osteocalcin gene expression

► Myogenin was identified as a novel αNAC target gene. ► αNAC interacts with the corepressors HDAC1 and HDAC3. ► αNAC recruits HDAC1/3 to the promoter of silent, but not expressed, target genes. ► A mutant αNAC not interacting with HDACs cannot inhibit Myogenin or myogenesis. ► We propose new roles for αNAC in transcriptional control during differentiation.