1100 Fairview Ave N, A1-162, PO Box 19024 Seattle, WA 98109-1024, USA
Our lab is interested in epigenetic inheritance and chromatin structure, including centromeric chromatin. We also develop tools for sequence comparison, in vivo mapping and functional genomics.
The inheritance of differences in cell types and tissues is poorly understood. To better understand inheritance that does not depend on DNA sequence, we apply genomic tools to understand epigenetic features of chromatin such as the deployment of histone variants and DNA methylation. We have especially focused on the three variants of histone H3. Canonical H3 is specialized for deposition during replication, which constituitive H3.3 is deployed for nucleosome replacement outside of replication, such as during transcription. CenH3 is specialized for centromeric chromatin and has a unique nucleosome structure that is essential for formation of the kinetochore that mediates chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis. Genomic profiling and structural studies help to reveal the properties and roles of thses variants in epigenetic inheritance.
Profiling of DNA methylation in Arabidopsis has supported a role for methylation in genome defense from transposons as well as a role in transcription and a relationship with histone variants. We also have developed a reverse genetic strategy (TILLING) to provide allelic series of point mutants for functional studies in Arabidopsis, Drosophila, maize and other plants.
Funding agencies
Our server is named after Nettie Maria Stevens (1861-1912) who discovered that chromosomes determine sex.
