Description:

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Departmental Seminar Series presents:

Danny Reinberg, PhD
Terry and Mel Karmazin Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
NYU Langone School of Medicine
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Epigenetics encompasses changes in gene expression profiles that occur without alterations in the genomic DNA sequence of a cell. This arises from the dynamic processes that structure regions of chromosomal DNA through a range of compaction in eukaryotes. The altered pattern of gene expression is pivotal to cellular differentiation and development and is inherited by daughter cells thereby maintaining the integrity, specifications, and functions for a given cell type. Aberrancies in this epigenetic process give rise to perturbations that are also inherited and disruptive to normal cellular properties. The histone proteins that package DNA into chromatin are subject to post-translational modifications generating different chromatin structures. The polycomb repressive complexes play pivotal functions in maintaining cellular identity through alteration of chromatin domains. Functions of these complexes will be discussed.