Almouzni Lab Profile

Research Focus: Chromatin Dynamics

Chromatin organization is a critical key in the control of the multiple functions within the eukaryotic nucleus. Importantly genome organization provides in addition to genetic information another layer of information, so called epigenetic, which by definition means that it is stably inherited throughout cellular divisions, yet it is not encoded genetically. Thus each cell type will display a specific "epigenome". It becomes thus important to understand how to preserve not only genetic but also epigenetic information. In the past years, we uncovered a potential important link between chromatin assembly and DNA repair which may contribute in the restoration of the original chromatin organisation. To study chromatin organization and its dynamics, our main working model is an amphibian, Xenopus laevis. This experimental system is ideal for developmental approaches in vivo and biochemical studies in vitro. Based on our findings in this system, we explore our working hypothesis in other systems such as mammalian cells or Drosophila embryos.