Epigenetics and chromatin-associated proteins in gene expression and DNA repair

Epigenetic mechanisms are fundamental for the maintenance of stem cell pluripotency, the regulation of differentiation, and the establishment of cell identity. Chromatin-associated proteins, histone modifications and DNA methylation work together with transcription factors to achieve the appropriate gene expression profile for each cell. My lab focuses on one family of chromatin-associated proteins, the HMGN family, which help to unfold chromatin and also modulate the patterns of histone modifications.
 
We are interested in how HMGNs influence chromatin structure, epigenetics and gene expression during development, and we are using genome-wide and gene-specific approaches to address this. For example, we are using a neuronal system to study how HMGN proteins affect the differentiation of embryonic carcinoma stem cells to terminally differentiated neurons and glia. Another system we are using involves the induction of chemokine gene expression by cytokines. Chemokines are crucial for the immune response to infection and inflammation and for cancer biology, and we have shown that HMGN proteins modulate this response in cultured cells. We are also interested in the role of chromatin and HMGNs in DNA repair, with particular focus on the repair of UV damage and DNA double strand breaks.

More information is available at:

Introduction to chromatin structure and HMGN proteins