Nuclear Architecture

Chromosomes occupy distinct territories (CTs) in the interphase nucleus. Increasing experimental evidence has supported a functional organization of CTs being composed of a chromatin compartment (CC) harboring interconnected ∼1 Mb chromatin domains (CDs) and an interchromatin compartment (IC) channel system. more

A biologically meaningful interpretation of high resolution images from nuclei in fixed cells - based on super resolution fluorescence microscopy or electron microscopy - may be tainted both by fixation and imaging artifacts imposed by a given microscopic procedure. more

We use several markers to study the 3D nuclear landscape in these cell types: H3K4me3 (for active chromatin), H3K9me3 (for inactive chromatin), SC35 (for splicing speckles), RNA polymerase II phosphorylated on Ser2 or Ser5 (for ongoing transcription or starting/paused transcription, respectively), Nup153 (for nuclear pores) and nucleoli. more

We consider the Barr body structure as special case maintaining basic principles of global CT organization. The Barr body differs however from active CTs by a closing up of CD clusters and a partially collapsed active nuclear compartment which is typically found in active CTs. more

The long term goal of this project is to advance our understanding on the epigenetic events that underlie the process of nuclear reprogramming with a special focus on the role of large scale chromatin arrangements. To achieve this aim we set out to systematically examine the nuclear architecture and the corresponding epigenetic chromatin modifications in donor cells with different developmental potential, in NT embryos reconstructed from these cells and in in vitro and in vivo produced embryos. more