de Laat Group

Biomedical genomics

The architecture of DNA in the interior of the living cell nucleus is an emerging key contributor to genomic function. Aim of our research is to understand how genome structure influences genome function. We use and develop novel genomics approaches such as 4C technology to identify long-range DNA interactions, study gene regulation within and between mammalian chromosomes and uncover the proteins that dictate the shape of our genome. Besides transcription we study the impact of nuclear architecture on genomic rearrangements. Furthermore, we develop novel strategies to identify and map chromosomal aberrations.

About the research

Key publications
Noordermeer, D., Branco, M.R., Splinter, E., Klous P., van IJcken. W., Swagemakers, S., Koutsourakis, M., van der Spek, P., Pombo. A., de Laat, W. (2008) Transcription and chromatin organization of a housekeeping gene cluster containing an integrated beta-globin Locus Control Region. PLoS Genet.4: e1000016.

de Laat, W., Grosveld, F. (2007) Interchromosomal gene regulation in the mammalian cell nucleus. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev., 17: 456-464.

Simonis, M., Klous, P., Splinter, E., Moshkin, Y., Willemsen, R., de Wit, E., van Steensel, B., de Laat, W. (2006) Nuclear organization of active and inactive chromatin domains uncovered by chromosome conformation capture-on-chip (4C). Nat. Genet. 38: 1348-1354.
 
Splinter, E., Heath, H., Kooren, J., Palstra, R.J., Klous, P., Grosveld, F., Galjart, N., de Laat, W. (2006) CTCF mediates long-range chromatin looping and local histone modification in the beta-globin locus. Genes Dev. 20: 2349-2354.
 
Tolhuis, B., Palstra, R.-J., Splinter, E., Grosveld, F., de Laat, W. (2002) Looping and interaction between hypersensitive sites in the active beta-globin locus. Mol. Cell 10: 1453-1465.

Publication list