Project description:Centromeres are the regions of eukaryotic chromosomes where kinetochores are assembled and direct the correct segregation of chromosomes. Active centromeres are defined by presence of nucleosomes containing CENP-A, a histone H3 variant, which alone is sufficient to direct kinetochore assembly. Once assembled at a location CENP-A chromatin and the kinetochore is maintained at that location though a positive feedback loop where kinetochore proteins recruited by CENP-A promote deposition of new CENP-A following replication. Although CENP-A chromatin itself is a heritable entity, it is normally associated with specific sequences such as human alpha satellite arrays. Such analyses suggest that properties of centromeric DNA itself may favour assembly of CENP-A rather than H3 nucleosomes. To investigate the innate properties of centromeric DNA we have examined histone dynamics on this DNA assembled in CENP-A chromatin at endogenous centromeres and when assembled only in H3 chromatin at an ectopic location. We demonstrate that H3 occupancy on centromeric DNA is innately low while H3 turnover is high. Moreover, even at an ectopic location centromeric DNA programs H3 deposition in S phase and its eviction during G2 when CENP-A is otherwise deposited. G2 accumulation of RNAPII on centromeric DNA during G2 is consistent with transcription-coupled destabilisation of H3 nucleosomes to favour CENP-A deposition.
Project description:Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) is a key driver of most breast cancers, and it is the target of endocrine therapies used in the clinic to treat women with ERα positive (ER+) breast cancer. The two methods ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with deep sequencing) and RIME (Rapid Immunoprecipitation of Endogenous Proteins) have greatly improved our understanding of ERα function during breast cancer progression and in response to anti-estrogens. A critical component of both ChIP-seq and RIME protocols is the antibody that is used to pull down the bait protein. To date, most of the ChIP-seq and RIME experiments for the study of ERα have been performed using the sc-543 antibody from Santa Cruz Biotechnology. However, this antibody has been discontinued, thereby severely impacting the study of ERα in normal physiology as well as diseases such as breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Here, we compare the sc-543 antibody with other commercially available antibodies, and we show that 06-935 (EMD Millipore) and ab3575 (Abcam) antibodies can successfully replace the sc-543 antibody for ChIP-seq and RIME experiments.
Project description:RNA transcriptome analysis of S.pombe fission yeast cells deleted for cay1+/SPBC2F12.12c (cay1D) and wildtype The transcriptome of cay1+ deleted fission yeast cells was characterized and compared to wildtype yeasts to identify differentially expressed genes controlled by Cay1 on a transcriptional or post-transcriptional level.
Project description:An branched-chain amino acids auxotroph eca39∆ mutant fission yeast exhibits an unusual adaptive growth phenotype on solid minimal media containing Ile, Leu and Val when other strains are growing nearby. The transcriptional profiles of an eca39∆ mutant before and after the adaptation were determined using Affymetrix DNA microarrays. Wild-type, the eca39∆ mutant, and the adapted eca39∆ mutant fission yeasts were inoculated in YE+2mM Ile, Leu and Val, and harvested at OD ~ 1. Total RNAs were purified from the 3 samples.