Coordination of Retinal Development by Chromatin Regulators:
While many chromatin regulators are ubiquitously expressed, disrupting their functions lead to context-dependent abnormalities in tissue proliferation and differentiation. We are analyzing the molecular mechanisms by which chromatin regulators govern gene expression during retinal development and whether these mechanisms are disrupted in ocular diseases. We are particularly interested in the cross talk between chromatin regulators and gene regulatory networks and signaling pathways that coordinate retinal developmental transitions.
Epigenetic Landscape Dynamics During Mammalian Retinal Development :
Temporal and spatial control of gene expression during development is usually achieved by noncoding DNA sequences that act distally to regulate transcription in a tissue-specific manner. We are defining chromatin architecture dynamics that accompany changes in gene expression throughout retinal differentiation. We are also dissecting the anatomy of developmentally-regulated and cell-type-specific cis-regulatory elements, defining their target genes and analyzing their functional significance during retinal development and diseases.
The 3D Chromatin Organization of The Mammalian Retina:
We are utilizing powerful genomic tools to map the two dimensional and the three dimensional structures of the chromatin in the retina and defining the principals underlying cell-type specific nuclear architecture. We are testing whether perturbations of the chromatin topology can affect gene expression and disrupt cellular differentiation and homeostasis during retinal development and diseases.
