Methyl readers that repress transcription DNA methylation is a conserved epigenetic mark required for gene silencing in many different organisms. However, how the methyl mark is able to silence genes is still largely unknown. Ichino et al. discovered two Arabidopsis proteins named MBD5 and MBD6 that are recruited to DNA by direct recognition of methylation. These methyl readers recruit the class C J-domain protein SILENZIO to chromatin to silence methylated genes and transposons. SILENZIO likely acts through its interaction with heat shock chaperone proteins. Science , abg6130, this issue p. 1434