Epigenetic Regulation of Chromosome Organization
Unraveling the mechanisms of centromere formation. We use Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to study the epigenetic regulation of centromere identity...
Laboratory Patrick Heun
Epigenetic regulation of chromosome and nuclear organization. All inheritable chromosome conditions not encoded by the DNA sequence itself are called epigenetic, including gene expression and for most eukaryotes also centromere and telomere identity.
Using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism my lab is particularly interested the role of the SUMO-E3 ligase dPIAS in gene silencing, heterochromatin and nuclear organization. The second project of the lab investigates the epigenetic regulation of centromere identity with a particular focus on neocentromere formation in flies and human tissue culture. In addition to genetic, developmental, biochemical, and cytological analysis, the lab uses live imaging and time-lapse microscopy as major tools in these studies.
Group Leader
1968
born in Frankfurt a.M., Germany
Undergraduate Studies in Biochemistry at JWG-University, Frankfurt, Germany
1996-2000
PhD studies at the ISREC, Epalinges, Switzerland
2001-2005
Postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute, La Jolla and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
Since 2005
Group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
Project Areas
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Nuclear organization of centromeres
The compartmentalization of the eukaryotic cell helps regulating proper genome function and gene expression.
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The role of PIAS in heterochromatin organization
In Drosophila, PIAS (Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT) has previously been identified as a suppressor of Position Effect Variegation (PEV).
Recent Publications
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Drosophila CENH3 Is Sufficient for Centromere Formation.
Mendiburo, M.J., Padeken, J., Fülöp, S., Schepers, A., and Heun, P. (2011)
Science 334, 686-690 -
Heterochromatin boundaries are hotspots for de novo kinetochore formation.
Olszak, A. M., van Essen, D., Pereira, A. J., Diehl, S., Manke, T., Maiato, H., Saccani, S. and Heun, P. (2011)
Nature Cell Biology 13, 799-808 -
Roles for nuclear organization in the maintenance of genome stability.
Nagai, S., Heun P. & Gasser S. (2010)
Epigenomics 2, 289-305 -
The paracentric inversion In(2Rh)PL alters the centromeric organization of chromosome 2 in Drosophila melanogaster.
Chlamydas, S., Heun, P., Dimitri, P., Moschetti, R., Barsanti, P. and Caizzi, R. (2009)
Chromosome Res. 17, 1-9 -
SUMOrganization of the nucleus.
Heun, P. (2007)
Curr Opin Cell Biol. 19, 350-355
Group Members
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Group Leader
Heun, Patrickphone: -717 / -725 / -774
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Postdoctoral Fellows
Roure, Virginiephone: -775
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Ph.D. Students
Padeken, Janphone: -725
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Schade, Georgphone: -725
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Technicians
Schwarz, Hans-Jürgenphone: -725 / -774
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Student Assistants
Wilhelm, Isabelphone: -774
