Neuronal Survival and Degeneration
The degenerative transcription factors landscape and programs
During development, TFs partition the genome into active and silent domains to determine cell fate. Tight regulatory controls dictate when, where and how they function. In development the basic functions of these TFs have been elucidated, in neurodegenerative disease their function as well as their tight regulatory controls are critical open questions. We seek to define the TFs degenerative landscape and programs.
The spatiotemporal mapping
of neuronal degeneration
Neurons, some of the largest cells in our bodies, possess remarkably long axons. The axons of sensory and motor neurons can extend over great distances, reaching up to one meter in length. This significant spatial separation from the cell's center (the nucleus) raises intriguing questions in understanding neuronal function. We aim to reconstruct a detailed spatiotemporal map of neurons, within the different sub-neuronal compartments, from structural, cellular and molecular aspects driving degeneration.
Chromatin modifiers function
in cellular proteostasis
Epigenetic information is stored as chemical modifications to DNA bases and to the histone proteins that package the genome. In cellular stress, emerging evidence of imbalances in chromatin dynamics, improper levels of DNA methylation and histone modifications have been reported. We aim to understand the changes in chromatin structure and function that occur during cellular stress and how they contribute to pathogenesis.
