Research group Group Åström
We explore how cells maintain genome stability using yeast cells as a model. Specifically, we investigate repetitive DNA such as telomeres and the rDNA loci. We are interested in both telomere maintenance and DNA repair mechanisms.
Group description
Repetitive DNA regions such as telomeres and rDNA pose a threat to genome stability, because extended regions of homology are prone to recombination events that can result in both deletions and insertions. The chromatin structure of these loci allows transcription (especially at the rDNA) and bidning of regulatory proteins (i.e. telomerase), but at the same time represses recombination. We use yeast cells as a model to explain how this is accomplished, aiming to understand how cells maintain stability of repetitive DNA in general. We explore chromatin structure and transcription using next generation sequencing methods (Micrococcal nuclease sequencing, RNA sequencing) and the role of chromatin regulators using yeast genetic methods. We also examine the role of noncoding RNAs expressed from these loci. Since cancer cells must elongate their telomeres to ensure proliferative immortality and rDNA instability is a hallmark of many tumors, it is important to understand how normal cells maintain the stability of these loci.
Group members
Group managers
Stefan Åström
Professor
Members
Thomas Nagel Thaisen Grochalski
PhD student
Carlos Lapedriza Fernandez
PhD student
