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Korber Lab Profile

Research Focus: The Role of Promoter Chromatin Structure in Gene Regulation

Lab leader photoPromoter regions often show profound changes in chromatin structure upon gene induction. It has become clear that such chromatin remodeling is not a consequence of but a necessary prerequisite for gene activation. One of the classic examples for such a role of chromatin in gene regulation are the PHO5 and PHO8 promoters in yeast. Wolfram Hörz – who was a founding member of the The Epigenome NoE – pioneered many basic principles of the mechanisms for chromatin remodeling by in vivo studies with this model system. We continue with this work and have added a new approach. Using yeast extracts we were able to establish a protocol that allows the in vitro reconstitution of PHO5 and PHO8 promoter chromatin structure with properly positioned nucleosomes. This in vitro approach yields an in vitro chromatin substrate with direct physiological correlate. It allows us to further biochemically dissect the mechanism of activator induced promoter opening as well as to identify the determinants of nucleosome positioning in the repressed promoter state. Eventually we want to reconstitute in vitro the complete chromatin remodeling process at a yeast promoter.

Contact Information

Philipp Korber - Lab Leader

Adolf-Butenandt-Institut
[email protected]

Tel: +49 89 2180 75435  ||  Fax: +49 89 2180 75425
Universität München
Schillerstr. 44
80336 München, Germany

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