DNA damage repair in the context of chromatin
Our research addresses the interplay between chromatin, specifically histone post-translational modifications, and DNA damage repair.
Histone proteins are characterized by many different post-translational modifications (PTMs) at many different sites: different patterns are associated with active and inactive genes; different PTMs have been shown to interact, e.g. H3S10 phosphorylation and H3K9 methylation. This diversity and cross-talk suggests a high potential for regulation of events such as gene transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair.
Our initial focus is on the alteration and potential re-establishment of chromatin patterns associated with repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Aberrant DNA damage repair and genomic instability are hallmarks of cancer. The epigenetic nature and role of histone modifications is a fascinating area of research. We aim to contribute to these areas, through the use of both yeast and mammalian model systems coupled with mass spectrometric analysis of histone PTMs.
Our research work is funded by: