Illuminating the regulation of gene expression at the single‐molecule level

Many vital processes are regulated by the packaging of eukaryotic genomes into nucleosomes and chromatin. The regulation of chromatin requires the precisely orchestrated interplay of  various chromatin-associated proteins. These include  sequence-specific binding factors as well as ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzymes (remodelers), which use their ATPase motor to alter the distribution and composition of nucleosomes. In order to understand the mechanisms of these chromatin-associated factors, a quantitative characterization of their complex real-time dynamics is needed. We developed novel fluorescence-based imaging methods that facilitate the study of these processes at the single-molecule level. In this talk, I will describe the new methodology and its applications.