以人類珠蛋白的轉基因小鼠為模型,利用Real-Time PCR和新一代高通量測序為基礎的DNase I作圖、染色質免疫沉澱(ChIP)、染色體構象捕獲(3C)等表觀遺傳學技術,研究真核細胞中非基因編碼區的順式調控元件的作用機制。發現:1) Pol II、TBP、TFIIB等重要轉錄因子與真核基因啟動子區域內的順式調控元件的結合與真核基因的轉錄調控密切相關;同時,具有不同發育時期的特異性(Duan et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2002;Fang et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2004;Li et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2004;Li et al. Nucleic. Acids Res., 2006)。2) 位於珠蛋白基因上游15-25 kb的非基因編碼區 (Locus Control Region, LCR) 內的染色質組蛋白末端修飾狀態以及染色體結構等表觀遺傳學調控機制的變化,對於真核基因的轉錄調控具有重要的作用,且具有發育時相的特異性(Fang et al. Mol. Cell Biol, 2005;Fang et al. J. Mol. Biol., 2007;Yin W et al. Blood. 2007)。3) 參加DNA組分總匯計畫(ENCODE),以人類胚胎幹細胞及其紅系分化系統為模型,利用高通量的測序平台,研究真核基因在幹細胞分化過程中的表觀遺傳學調控機制。已經發現在人類基因組的非編碼區記憶體在著大量組織器官和發育時相特異性的調控序列,它們通過各種反式作用因子及其協同蛋白的相互作用,形成複雜、精細的網路調控系統。
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