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USC PSOC Monthly Seminar Series
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 @ 11:30 AM - 01:15 AM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jonathan Widom, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, Northwestern Univ
Talk Title: Nucleosome positioning and chromosome structure from archaebacteria to man
Abstract: Eukaryotic genomes are packaged into nucleosome particles that occlude the DNA from interacting with most DNA binding proteins. We have discovered that genomes care where their nucleosomes are located on average, and that genomes manifest this care by encoding an additional layer of genetic information, superimposed on top of other kinds of regulatory and coding information that were previously recognized. The physical basis of the nucleosome DNA sequences preferences lies in the sequence-dependent mechanics of DNA itself. We have an increasingly good ability to read this nucleosome positioning information and predict the in vivo locations of nucleosomes. Our results suggest that genomes utilize this nucleosome positioning code to facilitate specific chromosome functions, including to define the next higher level of chromosome structure. Comparisons across diverse organisms suggests that basic aspects of this nucleosome positioning code may be conserved from archaebacteria to man. While we now have a good theoretical and experimental understanding of the approximate locations of nucleosomes in vivo, many aspects of chromosome structure and function hinge on knowing nucleosome locations to basepair resolution; but current experiments do not come close to this resolution. I will discuss a new experimental approach to obtaining nucleosome maps at high resolution.
Location: Aresty Auditorium, LG Level, Research Tower.
For additional information contact: 323-442-2596 or 323-442-3849.
Biography: Jonathan Widom, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology; and Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University.
Host: Dr. Parag Mallick, Center for Applied Molecular Medicine
Speaker: Jonathan Widom, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, Northwestern Univ
Talk Title: Nucleosome positioning and chromosome structure from archaebacteria to man
Abstract: Eukaryotic genomes are packaged into nucleosome particles that occlude the DNA from interacting with most DNA binding proteins. We have discovered that genomes care where their nucleosomes are located on average, and that genomes manifest this care by encoding an additional layer of genetic information, superimposed on top of other kinds of regulatory and coding information that were previously recognized. The physical basis of the nucleosome DNA sequences preferences lies in the sequence-dependent mechanics of DNA itself. We have an increasingly good ability to read this nucleosome positioning information and predict the in vivo locations of nucleosomes. Our results suggest that genomes utilize this nucleosome positioning code to facilitate specific chromosome functions, including to define the next higher level of chromosome structure. Comparisons across diverse organisms suggests that basic aspects of this nucleosome positioning code may be conserved from archaebacteria to man. While we now have a good theoretical and experimental understanding of the approximate locations of nucleosomes in vivo, many aspects of chromosome structure and function hinge on knowing nucleosome locations to basepair resolution; but current experiments do not come close to this resolution. I will discuss a new experimental approach to obtaining nucleosome maps at high resolution.
Location: Aresty Auditorium, LG Level, Research Tower.
For additional information contact: 323-442-2596 or 323-442-3849.
Biography: Jonathan Widom, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology; and Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University.
Location: Harlyne J. Norris Research Tower (NRT) -
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Yvonne Suarez
