Chromatin structure and pervasive transcription

该项目旨在了解抑制普遍转录的机制，并确定抑制启动子区域外转录启动的染色质特征。染色质的特性，如核小体的位置、占有率和周转率，建立了一个复杂的基因组索引机制，它定义了基因组中的功能单位。这一过程中的缺陷增加了普遍的转录、非编码转录本的有毒积累和基因组的不稳定性。这项工作旨在了解真核基因组组织，并可能对癌症和衰老相关疾病具有长期治疗意义。

This project aims to understand mechanisms that repress pervasive transcription and to identify chromatin characteristics that repress transcription initiation outside the promoter regions. Chromatin characteristics, such as position, occupancy and turnover-rate of nucleosomes, establish an elaborate genomic indexing mechanism, which defines functional units in the genome. Defects in this process increase pervasive transcription, toxic accumulation of non-coding transcripts and genomic instability. This work aims to understand eukaryotic genome organisation and may have long-term therapeutic implications for cancer and ageing-related diseases.