Dhasarathy Lab

Welcome to the Archana Dhasarathy laboratory!

We have a broad interest in Chromatin and Transcription and have several ongoing projects in the laboratory.

The overall goal of our research is to investigate epigenetic mechanisms underlying disease states. 

The basic questions that interest us are (a) how do epigenetic mechanisms regulate gene expression (b) what is the order of these changes, and (c) can we reverse these processes to better manage disease? 

What is Epigenetics?

Epigenetics, meaning "above the gene", is defined classically as changes in gene expression that are stably inherited, but are not caused due to alterations of the DNA sequence itself. In eukaryotes, the highly complex structure known as chromatin (DNA, histones and other proteins) plays an important role in gene expression. The prevailing model for gene regulation is targeted recruitment: activators and repressors bind to specific DNA sequences, and recruit chromatin-modifying protein complexes that modify chromatin, thus allowing or restricting access to the genetic information.

Epigenetic changes are heritable and include histone modifications, alterations in chromatin structure, small non-coding RNAs and DNA methylation, and are generally associated with altered gene expression. Often, they occur in combination: for example, epigenetic marks such as the trimethylation of the histone H3 lysine 9 residue (H3K9me3) and DNA methylation are associated with repressed and/or silenced genes in many model systems. Epigenetic modifications of our genome affect transcription regulation and are involved in a broad range of human diseases, such as cancer and Lyme disease.