Decoding the Diversity Within Human Chromatin Remodeling Protein Interaction Networks

Description:
We have a long-standing interest in developing quantitative proteomic technologies to study chromatin remodeling protein complexes and their protein interaction networks. Epigenetic regulation by the array of chromatin remodeling complexes is critically important in human health and disease. Many protein components of chromatin remodeling complexes, like those of the SWI/SNF complex, are amongst the most highly mutated in cancer and are considered cancer driver genes. A major challenge for the study of chromatin remodeling complexes, however, is to determine the structure and function of individual complexes within the context of larger protein interaction networks. For example, the chemotherapeutic targets histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1 and 2 are members of several distinct protein complexes including the CoREST, NuRD and SIN3 complexes. Even within each of these complexes, there are multiple and distinct subcomplexes. Determining how these complexes are assembled in a cell and elucidating the function of distinct complexes remains a significant challenge. We have been integrating emerging technologies and developing new methods to advance our understanding of human chromatin remodeling complexes. These approaches, like cross linking mass spectrometry, serial capture affinity purification, and ProteoCellomics, are widely applicable to the study of protein complexes. The development of such new approaches continues to drive our research into new directions to elucidate the structure and function of normal and diseased human chromatin remodeling complexes.

Speaker: Michael Washburn - University of Kansas Medical Center
Dr. Michael Washburn is a Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center and a member of the NIH Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Kansas Cancer Center. He received a B.A. in chemistry from Grinnell College in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Environmental Toxicology from Michigan State University in 1998. After completing post-doctoral training with Dr. John R. Yates, he moved into the broad area of proteomics and protein mass spectrometry. Since starting his independent position, his research has been broadly in the areas of quantitative proteomics, systems biology, epigenetics, and chromatin/transcription biochemistry. Dr. Washburn has co-authored more than 250 publications and his work has been cited more than 39.000 times.