Formation and maintenance of chromatin domains in C. elegans

基因组的功能部分是由染色质状态控制的。由于过去十年的技术发展，在全基因组的基础上询问这些染色质状态已经成为可能。Ahringer小组最近的工作表明，这些染色质状态被组织成大的结构域，这些结构域要么包含活跃转录的基因，要么包含发育/环境调节的基因。该项目将研究这些染色质结构域的调控、形成和功能。它将调查关于基因组和细胞事件的调节域的功能作用。它还将试图确定参与结构域形成和调节的机制和因素，并调查结构域之间的边界区域，以阐明它们在结构域定义和功能中的作用。

Genome function is partially controlled by the chromatin states underlying genomic elements. Due to technological developments over the last decade, it has become amenable to interrogate these chromatin states on a genome-wide basis. Recent work in the Ahringer group has shown these chromatin states are organised into large domains, which contain either actively transcribed genes, or genes that are developmentally/environmentally regulated. The project will investigate the regulation, formation and function of these chromatin domains. It will investigate the functional role of the domains with regard to regulation of the genome and cell events. It will also attempt to identify mechanisms and factors involved in the formation and regulation of domains as well as investigating the border regions between domains to elucidate their role in domain definition and function.