An ambitious EC-funded research initiative on epigenetics advancing towards systems biology

Our major goal is to explore the functional specificity and dynamics of human histone H1 variants. The linker histone in mammals is a family of different histone H1 subtypes or variants. They are broadly present in all cell types. It is poorly understood why so many H1 variants exist and whether they have particular features relevant to its functionality.

Our results show that inhibition of different variants produces different proliferation phenotypes, affects nucleosome spacing differently and alters expression of different sets of genes (Sancho et al., 2008, PLOS Genetics). Differential expression of H1 variants along differentiation also suggests they may play specific roles along this process (Terme et al., 2011, J Biol Chem).

We also aim to define the redundant and restricted occupancy of histone H1 variants along the human genome, and to explore the relationship with gene expression regulation and chromatin compaction and organization.

In a second line of research, we investigate the influence of chromatin organization at the integration site on HIV expression, with a focus on the role of heterochromatin and transcriptional interference on the establishment of viral latency.

Members:

• Erik Abner PhD student
• Lluis Millán PhD student
• Regina Mayor Postdoc