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Through The Open University’s Affiliated Research Centre (ARC) programme, research into the role of histone demethylases in the functional organisation of DNA and the regulation of eukaryotic transcription is being undertaken.

The research is being carried out by an Open University PhD student, Chia – Hui Lin, at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, USA.

Histones are groups of simple alkaline proteins usually occurring in cell nuclei, which combine ionically with DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to form nucleoproteins. Histones mediate DNA organisation and play a dominant role in regulating eukaryotic transcription.

Histone methylation was considered to be an irreversible reaction. However, the recent identification of several families of enzymes that can remove methylation group from histones has brought new perspective on how the dynamics of histone methylation can be regulated. Among them, the JmjC domain-containing proteins is the largest family and is highly conserved and exist in from budding yeast to human. Although there has been speculation on potential roles of histone demethylases in vivo, little is known about their roles in development. The model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, provides a powerful system to study this question because of the sophisticated genetic tools available and the conservation of genes and biochemical pathways underlying development. Since histone H3 K36 demethylase has not been identified in fly, and our lab has been interested in the regulation of transcription elongation by Set2 mediated H3K36 methylation for the past few years, my project is to characterise the biochemical and in vivo functions of putative histone H3K36 demethylases in Drosophila.

After graduating from the Department of Zoology, National Taiwan University in 2004, Chia-Hui Lin entered the graduate program in the Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Taiwan University, studying the regulation of histone modifiers by viral proteins. Chia-Hui completed her master’s degree in 2006, and soon after, got the chance to work in the laboratory of Dr. Jerry Workman at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research as a research technician. Chia-Hui registered on the OU’s PhD programme in June 2007.

Housed in a 600,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility on a 10-acre campus in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research conducts basic research on fundamental processes of cellular life. Through its commitment to collaborative research and the use of cutting-edge technology, the Institute seeks more effective means of preventing and curing disease. The Institute was founded by Jim and Virginia Stowers, two cancer survivors who have created combined endowments of $2 billion in support of basic research of the highest quality.

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