Alan Tackett Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. University of Arkansas for Medical Science

Chromatin Biology

Chromosomes are separated into regions of distinct transcriptional activity. Key to the establishment of these regions is the presence of specific histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) on chromatin. These epigenetic marks provide signals that recruit proteins to activate or repress transcription. The precise marking of a given histone (or particular combination of markings) is key for driving the cellular program of gene expression. The mis-regulation of histone PTM addition or removal has been linked to diseases such as cancer. In the Tackett laboratory, we are pursuing three projects related to histone posttranslational modification and chromatin structure.

We are working to develop a novel technology that will enable epigeneticists to isolate a given region of a chromosome (on the order of 5 nucleosomes), identify the contained and co-occupancy of histone PTMs, identify the proteome component of the particular region of chromatin and control for non-specifically interacting proteins/PTMs.

A second project in the laboratory is testing the following hypothesis: the NuA3 histone acetyltransferase protein complex interacts with a network of proteins that provide for targeting of the histone acetyltransferase activity to particular epigenetically marked chromosomal positions. The approaches we are taking combine new technologies in the isolation of ex vivo protein complexes and proteomics.

In a third project, we are studying proteins that regulate barrier chromatin in yeast. Barrier chromatin is a unique state that is formed at the junction between transcriptionally silent heterochromatin and active euchromatin. In particular, we are interested in a protein called Yta7, which contains a histone H3 binding bromodomain and an AAA ATPase domain.
 

Selected Publications

Taverna, S.D., Ilin, S., Rogers, R.S., Tanny, J.C., Lavender, H., Li, H., Baker, L., Boyle, J., Blair, L.P., Chait, B.T., Patel, D.J., Aitchison, J.D., [Allis, C.D. and Tackett, A.J.] (2006) Yng1 PHD finger binding to histone H3 trimethylated at lysine 4 promotes NuA3 HAT activity at lysine 14 of H3 and transcription at a subset of targeted ORFs. Mol. Cell, 24, 785-796.  [Abstract]

Gradolatto, A., Rogers, R.S., Lavender, H., Taverna, S.D., Allis, C.D, Aitchison, J.D. and Tackett, A.J. (2008) Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yta7 regulates histone gene expression. Genetics, 179, 291-304.  [Abstract]

Tackett, A.J., Dilworth, D.J., Davey, M.J., O'Donnell, M.D., Aitchison, J.D., Rout, M.P. and Chait, B.T. (2005) Proteomic and genomic characterization of chromatin complexes at a boundary. J. Cell Biol., 169, 35-47. [Abstract]

Dou, Y., Milne, T.A., Tackett, A.J., Smith, E.R., Fukuda, A., Wysocka, J., Allis, C.D., Chait, B.T., Hess, J.L. and Roeder, R.G. (2005) Physical association and coordinate function of the H3 K4 methyltransferase MLL1 and the H4 K16 acetyltransferase MOF. Cell, 121, 873-885. [Abstract]

Tackett, A.J., DeGrasse, J.A., Oeffinger, M., Rout, M.P. and Chait, B.T. (2005) I-DIRT, A General Method for Distinguishing Between Specific and Non-specific Protein Interactions. J. Proteome Res., 4, 1752-6. [Abstract]

Pubmed link to additional publications