Description:

The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics presents:

Golnaz Vahedi, PhD
Associate Professor of Genetics
Deputy Director, Institute for Immunology and Immune Health
Co-Director, Epigenetics Institute
Perelman School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania

Presentation: 

"Chromatin topology at paralogous transcription factors"

Abstract:

 Transcription factors (TFs) decode genomic information to regulate cellular processes. In metazoans, gene duplication has given rise to paralogous TFs, which have functionally diversified to control cellular differentiation. While most paralogous TFs are dispersed across different chromosomes, some remain clustered—raising the question whether genomic proximity confers an evolutionary advantage. To address this, we investigated a ~1 Mbp locus containing two ETS family paralogs, Ets1 and Fli1. Using a sequential imaging technique called Optical Reconstruction of Chromatin Architecture (ORCA), we traced the 3D organization of this region in single alleles of T cells from genetically engineered mice with targeted deletions of key regulatory elements. In this talk I will discuss how genomic clustering of paralogous TFs enhances developmental robustness, buffering against genetic variation—particularly in dynamic systems like immunity.

Host: Dr. Feng Yue, Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Pathology