Uhlmann lab Chromosome Segregation Laboratory
: Areas of interest
Introduction
Figure 1: The budding yeast rDNA locus, here visualized via a fluorescent rDNA binding protein, comprises ca. 500 μm of DNA. It is folded into a much more compact chromosome arm structure, to make chromosome segregation into daughter cells during cell division possible. Shown is how a regulator of the chromosomal cohesin complex, Wpl1, finetunes the chromosome condensation status. Scale bar, 5 μm.
Aneuploidy, i.e. missing or supernumerary chromosomes, is a hallmark of malignant tumour progression. A large number of genes that orchestrate faithful chromosome segregation during mitotic cell divisions are tumour suppressors or turn into potent oncogenes if misregulated.
The aim of the Chromosome Segregation Laboratory is to investigate cellular mechanisms that safeguard accurate chromosome segregation. In particular, we are investigating the contribution of structural chromosomal proteins to sister chromatid cohesion and chromosome condensation, essential processes that ensure faithful segregation of the centimetre-long chromosomal DNA molecules within micrometre-sized cells.
A second topic of our research is the regulation of ordered mitotic progression by the cell division cycle machinery.
