Bartholomew Laboratory
Blaine Bartholomew, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Chris Contreras
Administrative Assistant
Area of Research
- Epigenetics Research
- Chromatin Remodelers Research
- Biochemistry Research
- Histone Modification Research
- Chromatin Research
The Bartholomew laboratory studies the structure and function of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes and their mechanisms of nucleosome mobilization and reorganization. Given the size and complexity of these complexes, it has been essential to develop novel approaches to examine the physical interactions of chromatin remodelers with their nucleosomal substrates and how each impacts the other during remodeling.
The Bartholomew lab, located near Austin at Science Park, studies a superfamily of proteins called ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers that are pivotal in gene regulation, cell development, and cancer. The lab focuses on the SWI/SNF family of chromatin remodelers, as well as other ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers such as the ISWI and INO80 families. The lab utilizes Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) as a model system for studying the biochemical and mechanistic properties of these complexes, as we can obtain sufficient amounts of the enzyme and readily alter complexes using the exceptionally powerful genetic methods available in yeast.
These studies are expanding into human cell lines, including adult pluripotent stem cells, to examine the in vivo properties of these chromatin remodelers using a combination of genomic approaches and next-generation sequencing. In addition, our studies are performed at the single-molecule level in order to examine the properties of individual chromatin remodelers and discern the collective properties of these complexes. Fundamental components unique to our lab are other techniques using chemical biology and photosensitive reporters to examine changes in protein-protein and DNA-protein interactions as a part of the process of chromatin remodeling.