Role of chromatin structure and histone modifications in the regulation of DNA repair by homologous recombination

DNA损伤可导致重要基因失活或失调，导致代谢功能障碍或细胞死亡。幸运的是，细胞拥有DNA修复机制，使它们能够在DNA损伤的情况下存活。为了适应细胞的狭小空间，DNA被包装成一种叫做染色质的结构。我们正在研究染色质结构如何参与对DNA损伤的反应。我们建议使用酵母作为一种模式生物来了解组蛋白（染色质的基本组成部分）的变异如何影响DNA修复。我们预计，对这些基本过程的更好理解将揭示染色质结构的特定决定因素与对环境DNA损伤剂的反应之间的新联系。因此，这项研究将提高我们对细胞如何保持其基因组完整性的理解

DNA damage can lead to the inactivation or misregulation of important genes and cause metabolic malfunction or cell death. Fortunately, cells possess DNA repair mechanisms that allow them to survive in the presence of DNA lesions. In order to fit in the tiny confines of the cell, DNA is packaged into a structure called chromatin. We are investigating how chromatin structure participates in the response to DNA damage. We propose to use yeast as a model organism to understand how variants of histone proteins, which are basic building blocks of chromatin, can influence DNA repair. We anticipate that a better understanding of these fundamental processes will unearth novel links between specific determinants of chromatin structure and the response to environmental DNA damaging agents. This research will thus improve our comprehension of how cells maintain the integrity of their genomes.**