Understanding the regulation of Polycomb Repressor Complex 1 and its role in epigenetic control of gene expression

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Cells, the basic unit of all mammals, contain all the information for cell survival and proliferation, which are highly regulated processes. One regulatory mechanism is the expression of specific proteins. Different proteins are encoded from unique DNA sequences known as genes. DNA is packaged into chromatin using a complex made up of histones, providing a further level of regulation on top of DNA sequence. Chromatin can be modified to regulate gene expression and therefore protein levels in the cell. One complex of proteins that is known to modify chromatin is called the polycomb complex PRC1. PRC1 is able to modify a histone and this is associated with gene repression. The PRC1 complex has been shown to play an important role in cell survival and proliferation, through its ability to modify chromatin. How the PRC1 complex is regulated and how it is able to recognise chromatin to modify it is poorly understood. The work described in this proposal is aimed at elucidating how PRC1 is regulated and in turn how this regulates gene expression to maintain healthy cells.

unavailable