Chromatin research group

Survival and life of cells depend on accurate and faithful inheritance and expression of their genetic information in the course of DNA replication and gene transcription. These processes are highly regulated in multiple levels, including by the regulation of DNA accessibility in chromatin. The general aim of our research is to clarify the role of chromatin in regulation of these fundamental processes in eukaryotic cells.

We are interested in revealing the mechanisms how chromatin modifications support the correct initiation of DNA replication and gene transcription, and what is the role of different chromatin-interacting proteins in recruitment of DNA replication and transcription machinery to the correct initiation sites of these processes. In particular, we are focused on studying the proteins that modify histone proteins, or are important in detection of histone modifications in chromatin. We use budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a model organism, which has several technical advantages like fast growth and availability of very broad variety of genetic and biochemical research methods and assays.

Header image: RNA polymerase gene transcribing (Image on a "painted" plate with yeast medium using different yeast species).
Idea and implementation: Mari Ann Rebane, Signe Värv, Sulev Kuuse, Arnold Kristjuhan