Histone deacetylase and subunit of Set3 and Rpd3L complexes; required for gene activation via specific deacetylation of lysines in H3 and H4 histone tails; subunit of the Set3 complex, a meiotic-specific repressor of sporulation specific genes that contains deacetylase activity; co-localizes with Cmr1p in nuclear foci in response to DNA damage by MMS