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Molecular Basis of Chromatin and Transcription Regulation

Molecular Basis of Chromatin and Transcription Regulation

DEPARTMENT

Integrated structural biology

TEAM LEADER

Christophe ROMIER

Our team "Molecular Basis of Chromatin and Transcription Regulation" studies eukaryotic epigenetic mechanisms that are essential for cell homeostasis and for the development of organisms. We are particularly characterizing the molecular basis of epigenetic mechanisms to decipher their involvement in the regulation of nuclear processes and to understand their physiological roles. We then use this knowledge to determine how mutations in epigenetic effectors can lead to many different pathologies. We are also implementing strategies to characterize small molecules that inhibit or regulate the activity of epigenetic effectors in order to help the development of drug candidates targeting cancers and neglected diseases (malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, Chagas disease).

Our objectives are to combine these three axes of research to help decipher the cause of epigenetic diseases and to help the development of epigenetic therapies. Our studies notably rely on biochemical, biophysical and structural biology analyses. However, we are developing all of our projects within the framework of integrative biology strategies that combine in vitro, in cellulo and in vivo analyzes. If the latter two aspects are mainly pursued through collaborative work, our goal is to integrate more and more these different integrative biology investigations directly within our team. In particular, we now use the zebrafish animal model within the team to address our three axes of research (mechanisms, pathologies and small molecules), and thus characterize the structure/function relationships of our epigenetic targets.

Our scientific projects study three types of epigenetic effectors in particular: deacetylases, histone chaperones and, more recently, cohesin. Although these three types of effectors have distinct activities, our primary epigenetic targets are all functionally related, our ultimate goal being to characterize their physical and functional interrelationships. In addition to our epigenetic biological research axes, our team has been developing for many years the technology of protein complexes reconstitution by multi-expression in bacterial hosts. This technology, and our associated know-how, supports all of our scientific projects, but is also recognized by many laboratories that have either acquired it or are collaborating with our team to use it. Thus, our team also develops specific collaborative projects, which in return opens up new perspectives for our own scientific projects.

 

Members

Researchers

PhD students

Engineers

Technicians

Funding and partners

A 2-year post-doctoral position is available in our team on the ADAT projects (see our 2021 publication in Nucleic Acids Research).

For more information, please contact Christophe Romier (romier(at)igbmc.fr).

Publications

News

Four IGBMC members are winners of the IdEx Research 2021 call for projects

Four members of the IGBMC are winners of the IdEX Research 2021 call for projects, announced the University of Strasbourg on 16 June 2021. This award…

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