[Dec 12] Kengaku Group Seminar: Prof Ken Cho

Kengaku Group is to hold a seminar. Kyoto University members are welcome to attend.
This seminar will be held in person at the iCeMS main building.

Prof Ken Cho
Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine

"Interplay of transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers in gene expression stability”

Abstract:
The embryonic genome orchestrates gene expression during embryogenesis through the dynamic interplay of histone modifications and transcription factor accessibility. Histone tails, making up to 30% of histone mass, undergo critical post-translational modifications such as acetylation, influencing temporal and spatial gene activities around zygotic genome activation (ZGA). In Xenopus, a balance between histone acetyltransferases (e.g., Ep300) and deacetylases (e.g., Hdac1) is essential for cell fate decisions during gastrulation, with histone acetylation levels correlating with developmental plasticity. Our research reveals that Hdac1, maternally guided to the genome, plays a dual role. Hdac1 not only represses gene expression by sustaining a histone hypoacetylation state on inactive chromatin, but also maintains gene expression through participating in dynamic histone acetylation-deacetylation cycles on active chromatin. Our study illuminates Hdac1's integral role in the epigenetic modulation of the zygotic genome, providing a framework for understanding the molecular underpinnings of early vertebrate development.