The epigenetic machinery consists of components that catalyze the covalent modifications of histone tails or the DNA (writers). These marks are interpreted by proteins (readers) that bind to the epigenetic marks, resulting in regulation of gene expression. Another class of proteins (erasers) reverses the epigenetic marks by catalyzing their removal. A class of protein complexes (movers) catalyzes the shifting of nucleosomes, resulting in a compact or relaxed chromatin. Here, the broad importance of these proteins in the context of gene silencing is shown. Writers acting separately on histones and DNA result in inactive histone modifications and CpG methylation. Erasers (such as LSD1) remove active histone modifications. Protein readers that bind to active histone (black lollipops) marks (e.g., bromodomain containing 4) are shown in green, those binding to inactive histone (white lollipops) marks (e.g., heterochromatin protein 1, chromobox homolog 7) are shown in pink, and those binding to methylated CpG (green lollipop denotes unmethylated CpG; red lollipop denotes methylated CpG) are shown in brown. The histone movers are shown to play a role in compacting chromatin. Once silenced, a gene will be maintained in the silenced state across cell divisions via recruitment of the writers in every cell cycle.