Bara Cihlova

Bringing the genetically minimal cell to life on a computer in 4D Simulating the complete cell cycle of the minimal cell provides a platform to understand the progression of complete states over time. The spatial heterogeneity of the intracellular environment can strongly affect biochemical reactions that control phenotypes.

Now online! Bringing the genetically minimal cell to life on a computer in 4D

Help needed: I know this has been discussed before - what are people doing now that phase lock tubes have disappeared from the market? Is everyone making their own and that's why companies are not selling them anymore? If so, what is the best vaccum grease you would recommend? 🤷‍♀️

Post-replicative chromatin accessibility predicts cell fate change Knudsen and colleagues use repli-ATAC-seq to compare replicated and unreplicated chromatin in two models of cell identity change. They find that lineage-specific elements are accessible earlier in rep...

DNA replication globally disrupts the epigenome. But does this create a chromatin-access opportunity for TF binding to facilitate cell identity change? Now 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢-𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐂-𝐬𝐞𝐪 shows 𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘰 chromatin opening & TF binding occurs specifically post-replication, in cellular differentiation & reprogramming!

A small polymerase ribozyme that can synthesize itself and its complementary strand The emergence of a chemical system capable of self-replication and evolution is a critical event in the origin of life. RNA polymerase ribozymes can replicate RNA, but their large size and structural ...

How could a simple self-replicating system emerge at the origins of life? RNA polymerase ribozymes can replicate RNA, but existing ones are so large that their self-replication seems impossible. Could they be smaller?

Excited to share our latest work in @science.org on a new small polymerase.
1/n

Two stacked line plots comparing nucleotide composition along sequences (x-axis: scaled position; y-axis: nucleotide content %). Top: host 3′UTRs are AT/U-rich relative to GC. Bottom: LTR retrotransposon coding sequence composition shows strong A/T bias compared to GC, illustrating transposons are adenosine-rich at the DNA level (which becomes uridine-rich when transcribed antisense).

But why? How does a simple U-code target transposons? It’s a brilliant exploit of retrotransposon evolution: their genomes are intrinsically A-rich. When transcribed in antisense (as in clusters), they become exceptionally U-rich, placing them squarely in Yb’s crosshairs. 🎯 (11/19)

“Sub-layers of specialization make it hard to see the connections between ideas in different research areas. Because of that, generalizations do not come naturally and, if made, are met with suspicion. Consequently, specialists get ever more specialized and generalists become endangered species.“

I miss these pieces so much...sigh...

Interphase chromosome conformation is specified by distinct folding programmes inherited through mitotic chromosomes or the cytoplasm Nature Cell Biology - Schooley et al. find that mitotically bookmarked loci drive a transient chromosome folding state during G1 entry that is subsequently modulated by factors inherited through...

Happy to share that my postdoc work with @jobdekker.bsky.social is out!
rdcu.be/eWHD2

We characterize interphase chromatin folding programs with distinct modes of mitotic inheritance and identify the chromosome-intrinsic capacity to form a microcompartment of active CREs during mitotic exit.

Using TT-seq, we find that SET1/MLL complex occupancy is required for transcription at over a quarter of all genes, but H3K4me3 is not required. SET1 complexes are the primary effectors of transcription, and do so independently of H3K4me3.

SET1/MLL complexes control transcription independently of H3K4me3 Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) at gene promoters is thought to play a central role in gene transcription. H3K4 methylation is deposited by the SET1 (A/B) and MLL (1-4) multi-protein comp...

Excited to share our new preprint from the Klose lab, where we investigate how SET1/MLL complexes shape H3K4me3 and regulate transcription in mouse ES cells. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Heterochromatin boundaries maintain centromere position, size and number - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Carty et al. identify the H3K9 methyltransferases that restrict the size and position of the centromere protein A chromatin domain, maintaining functional centromeres.

Very proud to have our latest work now online in
@natsmb.nature.com. A wonderful team effort across the centromere community, across @jansenlab.bsky.social @naltemose.bsky.social @dfachinetti.bsky.social and Giunta labs. Happy reading! 1/4

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

m6A and the NEXT complex direct Xist RNA turnover and X-inactivation dynamics - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology Wei et al. show that the primary function of m6A on the nuclear long noncoding RNA Xist, a master regulator of X inactivation, is to promote RNA degradation. Xist turnover is mediated by the nuclear e...

Double celebration on our floor @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social with @guifengwei.bsky.social from the Brockdorff lab and Dounia and Sherry from Fisher lab having their papers published today! And I hear there is more to come...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A male-essential miRNA is key for avian sex chromosome dosage compensation - Nature Birds have evolved a unique sex chromosome dosage compensation mechanism involving the male-biased microRNA (miR-2954), which is essential for male survival by regulating the expression of dosage-sens...

Our study on a male-essential microRNA and the evolution of other dosage compensation mechanisms in birds is now out in Nature! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Serine ADPr on histones and PARP1 is a cellular target of ester-linked ubiquitylation - Nature Chemical Biology RNF114 is an E3 ligase that can recognize ADP-ribose (ADPr) and ubiquitin with separate domains. Using these domains, Kolvenbach and Palumbieri et al. developed a proteomics approach to map ADP-ribosy...

Our latest study on ADP-ribosyl-linked serine ubiquitylation in the context of PARP1 signaling and the DNA damage response is out today in Nature Chemical Biology www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Selective interaction of the protein SMCHD1 with specific chromatin regions is governed by the loading factor LRIF1 and SMCHD1 ATPase activity The chromosomal protein SMCHD1 is a GHKL ATPase that plays important roles in epigenetic silencing, including on the inactive X chromosome (Xi) and at the D4Z4 macrosatellite linked to regulation of D...

Fresh preprint by @flavia-con.bsky.social from our lab uncovers how SMCHD1 finds & binds chromatin using live-cell single-molecule imaging🔬

She reveals how SMCHD1 dynamically engages chromatin, including the inactive X chromosome, to maintain gene silencing.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A postdoc position is available in our lab to study ADP-ribosylation and ubiquitylation signalling! We are looking for someone with experience in structural biology and biochemistry. The application deadline is June 20th.
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Our new paper is out@ScienceAdvances👇
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🧬Our Repli-Histo labeling marks nucleosomes in euchromatin and heterochromatin in live human cells.
🔍 @katsuminami.bsky.social et al. have developed a chromatin behavior atlas within the nucleus. 1/2

Fresh of the press! rdcu.be/egmY0 We discovered key chromatin modifications that are heritably maintained through mitotic cell divisions in the absence of continued transcription. These hold a memory of past exposure to interferon-gamma, priming cells for future activation of gene expression.