Life Science Seminar: Hitoshi Kurumizaka
Title:
Structural molecular biology for the nucleosome as a regulator on genomic DNA
Abstract:
In eukaryotic cells, genomic DNA is highly compacted into chromatin through its association with histone proteins. The fundamental unit of chromatin, the nucleosome, consists of ~147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer composed of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. These nucleosomes are connected by linker DNA, forming a “beads-on-a-string” structure that enables efficient packaging of the genome.
Beyond structural compaction, nucleosomes play a central role in regulating genome function. They can restrict access to DNA and act as barriers to essential processes such as transcription, replication, and repair. At the same time, nucleosomes serve as key epigenetic platforms, where histone modifications and histone variants modulate chromatin structure and dynamics to control gene activity.
To better understand these regulatory mechanisms, we employ biochemical and structural approaches to investigate nucleosome structure and dynamics. Our studies aim to elucidate how structural transitions of nucleosomes influence DNA accessibility and ultimately govern genomic regulation. I will present our recent structural and biochemical insights and discuss their implications for understanding nucleosome-mediated genome regulation.
Bio:
Hitoshi Kurumizaka is a Professor at the Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan. After receiving his Ph.D. degree in 1995, he started his postdoctoral training at NIH in the USA, in the laboratory of Molecular Embryology (Alan Wolffe Lab), where he began chromatin research. In 1997, he joined RIKEN as a Research Scientist. He subsequently moved to Waseda University, where he served as Associate Professor and later as Professor of Molecular and Structural Biology. Since 2018, he has been Professor at the Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo. His research focuses on the structural basis of chromatin and epigenetic regulation in eukaryotic genomes. In 2020, he established an in-house cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) platform to advance high-resolution structural studies of chromatin and genome-associated protein complexes. Professor Kurumizaka has made significant contributions to the field of chromatin biology through structural and mechanistic studies of nucleosomes and genome-associated protein complexes. His work has been published in leading international journals and has substantially advanced our understanding of chromatin architecture and epigenetic regulation.
Structural molecular biology for the nucleosome as a regulator on genomic DNA
Abstract:
In eukaryotic cells, genomic DNA is highly compacted into chromatin through its association with histone proteins. The fundamental unit of chromatin, the nucleosome, consists of ~147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around a histone octamer composed of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. These nucleosomes are connected by linker DNA, forming a “beads-on-a-string” structure that enables efficient packaging of the genome.
Beyond structural compaction, nucleosomes play a central role in regulating genome function. They can restrict access to DNA and act as barriers to essential processes such as transcription, replication, and repair. At the same time, nucleosomes serve as key epigenetic platforms, where histone modifications and histone variants modulate chromatin structure and dynamics to control gene activity.
To better understand these regulatory mechanisms, we employ biochemical and structural approaches to investigate nucleosome structure and dynamics. Our studies aim to elucidate how structural transitions of nucleosomes influence DNA accessibility and ultimately govern genomic regulation. I will present our recent structural and biochemical insights and discuss their implications for understanding nucleosome-mediated genome regulation.
Bio:
Hitoshi Kurumizaka is a Professor at the Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan. After receiving his Ph.D. degree in 1995, he started his postdoctoral training at NIH in the USA, in the laboratory of Molecular Embryology (Alan Wolffe Lab), where he began chromatin research. In 1997, he joined RIKEN as a Research Scientist. He subsequently moved to Waseda University, where he served as Associate Professor and later as Professor of Molecular and Structural Biology. Since 2018, he has been Professor at the Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo. His research focuses on the structural basis of chromatin and epigenetic regulation in eukaryotic genomes. In 2020, he established an in-house cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) platform to advance high-resolution structural studies of chromatin and genome-associated protein complexes. Professor Kurumizaka has made significant contributions to the field of chromatin biology through structural and mechanistic studies of nucleosomes and genome-associated protein complexes. His work has been published in leading international journals and has substantially advanced our understanding of chromatin architecture and epigenetic regulation.
Links
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Prof. Nicolas Thomä