Karolin Luger
HHMI Investigator
Jennie-Smoly-Caruthers Endowed Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Colorado

Abrstact:

Nucleosome assembly in the wake of DNA replication is a key process that regulates cell identity and survival. Chromatin assembly factor 1 (CAF-1) is a H3-H4 histone chaperone that associates with the replisome and orchestrates chromatin assembly following DNA synthesis. Little is known about the mechanism and structure of this key complex. We investigate CAF-1 – histone binding modes and describe an intriguing ‘snap-on’ mechanism by which CAF-1 assembles nucleosomes.

In contrast to eukaryotes, many archaea have histone-based chromatin that does not require assembly factors. I will present the structure of archaeal chromatin, and discuss possible implications for the origins of the eukaryotic nucleosome.

A lunch reception will follow the seminar in EBB 5029 at 12 PM.