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

We are interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms by which small RNAs can direct epigenetic changes via chromatin modification. Our current research is aimed at dissecting one of the best characterised examples of this phenomenon: RNAi-dependent heterochromatin assembly in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We recently identified a novel epigenetic regulator named Stc1, which appears to play a key role in coupling RNAi to chromatin modification in this system. Funding from EpiGeneSys is supporting a project aimed at characterising, quantifying and modelling the interactions of Stc1 with its binding partners and with chromatin, with a view to understanding the dynamic process by which Stc1 mediates the recruitment of chromatin modifiers to sites of active RNAi.

People involved:

• Laure Verrier, Postdoc
• Sreerekha Pillai, PhD student/Research assistant