Department of Biochemistry University of Oxford Department of Biochemistry
University of Oxford
South Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3QU

Tel: +44 (0)1865 613200
Fax: +44 (0)1865 613201
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Photograph of Group Leader

Jane Mellor
Yeast Chromatin Group

Co-workers: David Clynes, Anitha Nair, Michael Youdell, Peter Dudek, Jon Ayling, Ana Serra Barros, Ahamarshan Nagarajan, Françoise Howe

Controlled access to the information stored in our DNA genomes is mediated in part by our epigenome; the layer of information that influences events on the DNA without altering the DNA sequence. Epigenetic control of gene expression occurs in three main ways; by non-coding RNAs, by methylation of CG dinucleotides in DNA and through various reversible covalent modifications to histone proteins. Defects in epigenetic control processes make a significant contribution to age-related diseases, particularly cancer, and a global effort is underway to decipher the epigenetic code and to understand how it influences gene expression.

My group uses the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism in which to study how non-coding RNAs, higher order structures in chromatin (determined using predictive pattern recognition algorithms) and histone modifications influence the response to changes in nutrient availability. Caloric restriction is known to increase lifespan in a wide range of organisms including yeast and may ameliorate the effects of age-related diseases but the mechanism involved are poorly understood. Yeast offers a powerful tool for dissecting the pathways that allow cells to switch from active growth into a long-lived quiescent state. We use predictive pattern recognition algorithms, 3C analysis and most standard wet techniques including chromatin immunoprecipitation.

Publications

  1. Kent, N.A., Karabetsou, N., Politis, P.K., and Mellor, J. (2001). In vivo chromatin remodeling by yeast ISWI homologs Isw1p and Isw2p. Genes Dev 15, 619-626
  2. Mellor, J. (2008). On your MARKS, get SET, METHYLATE! Nat Cell Biol 10, 1249-1250
  3. Morillon, A., Karabetsou, N., Nair, A. and Mellor, J. (2005) Dynamic lysine methylation on histone H3 defines the regulatory phase of gene transcription. Mol Cell, 18, 723-734
  4. Morillon, A., Karabetsou, N., O'Sullivan, J., Kent, N., Proudfoot, N., and Mellor, J. (2003a). Isw1 chromatin remodeling ATPase coordinates transcription elongation and termination by RNA polymerase II. Cell 115, 425-435
  5. Morillon, A., O'Sullivan, J., Azad, A., Proudfoot, N., and Mellor, J. (2003b). Regulation of elongating RNA polymerase II by forkhead transcription factors in yeast. Science 300, 492-495
More Publications...

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Contact: jane.mellor@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Positions: No positions currently available
Website: http://www.mellorlab.org