Biomedical subjects

Namrita Dhillon

Publications and source records attributed to Namrita Dhillon.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

H2A.Z functions to regulate progression through the cell cycle.

Histone H2A variants are highly conserved proteins found ubiquitously in nature and thought to perform specialized functions in the cell. Studies in yeast on the histone H2A variant H2A.Z have shown a role for this protein in transcription as well as chromosome segregation. Our studies have focused on understanding the role of H2A.Z during cell cycle progression. We found that htz1delta cells were delayed in DNA replication and progression through the cell cycle. Furthermore, cells lacking H2A.Z required the S-phase checkpoint pathway for survival. We also found that H2A.Z localized to the promoters of cyclin genes, and cells lacking H2A.Z were delayed in the induction of these cyclin genes. Several different models are proposed to explain these observations.

Cell Cycle↗

PubMed2002

Breaking through to the other side: silencers and barriers.

The establishment and restriction of transcriptionally inactive regions in the nucleus is mediated by silencer and barrier elements. Silencer-bound proteins recruit additional factors to establish the silenced domain during the S-phase of the cell cycle but, contrary to previous models, DNA replication is not a pre-requisite for the establishment. Characteristically, silenced domains contain hypoacetylated histones and recent data have identified residue-specific methylation of histone H3 as an additional signature that distinguishes active regions from inactive ones. Peaks of acetylated histones demarcate the boundaries between these regions and recruitment of HAT activities provides a mechanism to restrict the spread of heterochromatin.

Gene Silencing↗