Abstract:
Chromatin remodeling plays a critical role in regulating all processes that require access to DNA. There are four families of chromatin remodelers, defined by the ATPase subunit of the complex. Although each family is often treated as a singular entity, in reality, the composition of remodeling complexes can vary greatly based on the inclusion of different subunits. SWI/SNF is the chromatin remodeler that best exemplifies the idea of compositional heterogeneity. More than half of its 12-15 subunits can be filled by mutually exclusive proteins. Despite the many studies on the function of SWI/SNF, considerably fewer have focused on regulation of assembly and composition of the complex. The goal of my lab is to understand how the composition of a chromatin remodeling complex is regulated, and how altered chromatin remodeling disrupts normal chromatin state and contributes to disease. My work integrates quantitative genomics, biochemistry, and molecular biology to develop a mechanistic understanding of how changes to the composition of a chromatin remodeling complex affects its function.

Speaker:
Jesse Raab received his Ph.D. from The University of California Santa Cruz working with Dr. Rohinton Kamakaka to uncover the role of human tRNA genes as chromatin insulator elements. In 2012, he joined the lab of Terry Magnuson to study how changes to the composition of chromatin remodeling complexes affect their function. He is now a research assistant professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he has continued his research to understand how disruption of chromatin remodeling complex composition contributes to disease.