Title: "Genomic views of transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation"
Speaker: Vishwanath Iyer, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

Place: LILY G126
Date: October 23, 2012; Tuesday


Abstract:

Diversity in gene expression between different cellular states is known to be generated at the level of RNA, and regulated by transcription factors, chromatin structure, and post-transcriptional regulators like miRNAs. Diversity also exists in gene regulation between individuals, driven in part by genetic variants, which may be termed allele-specific regulation. Systematic efforts such as the ENCODE Consortium Project have recently provided richly detailed annotations regarding transcription factor binding sites, chromatin structure and expressed RNAs throughout the human genome, but understanding how these regulatory components function together in various biological contexts is likely to be an ongoing effort. I will describe our efforts to study genome-wide regulation in three domains. First, we examine the role of chromatin remodelers and nucleosome positioning using yeast as a model system. I then describe a gene regulatory network involving transcription factors and a miRNA that is involved in mediating cell proliferation responses. Finally I will show how we can identify allele-specific transcription factor binding throughout the human genome, and describe efforts to identify QTLs (quantitative trait loci) that underlie variation in transcription factor binding and chromatin structure.

Associated Reading:
1. Lee et al. 2012. Cell-type specific and combinatorial usage of diverse transcription factors revealed by genome-wide binding studies in multiple human cells. Genome Res. 22: 9-24.

2. Thurman et al. 2012. The accessible chromatin landscape of the human genome. Nature 489; doi:10.1038/nature11232.



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