As far back as the early 1970s, receptor-associated nonhistone proteins were known to support the function of nuclear receptors.

HATs play important roles in regulating chromatin remodeling, transcription and other nuclear processes by acetylating histone and nonhistone proteins.

Acetyl-CoA is also the source of the acetyl group incorporated onto certain lysine residues of histone and nonhistone proteins in the posttranslational modification acetylation, a reaction catalyzed by acetyltransferases.