Description:

The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics presents:

Aaron Johnson, PhD
Director, Biomedical Sciences PhD Program
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
University of Colorado School of Medicine

Presentation:

"Mechanisms of RNA-dependent epigenetic chromatin regulation"

Abstract:

Gene repression can be paradoxically promoted by transcription. For example, by producing a repressive long noncoding RNA or if the nascent transcript itself is a trigger for heterochromatin formation. Our work focuses on understanding the molecular bases of these phenomena. We study the mechanisms that harness RNA in the nucleus as a regulator of epigenetic gene repression, focusing on the Polycomb system and epitranscriptomic influence on chromatin regulation. Our fundamental work has recently prompted us to ask whether our mechanistic insight can be harnessed for therapeutic approaches.

Host: Dr Marc Mendillo, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics