Master Student
E-Mail: treffnev[at]hu-berlin.de
Polycomb/Trithorax Response Elements (PRE/TREs) represent a class of cis-acting regulatory DNA elements which were first identified in Drosophila. They are bound by Polycomb and Trithorax Group proteins (PcG/TrxG), which work in an antagonistic manner by either repressing or activating gene expression, respectively. Epigenetic modification of PRE/TREs allows for the maintenance of respective transcriptional states throughout many cell divisions which is essential for proper differentiation and development. Despite the fact that several common and distinct motifs of PRE/TREs have been identified in the past, their heterogeneity is a fascinating yet still tangled mystery that has to be solved. My project aims towards a better understanding of the regulatory potential of PRE/TREs with a special focus on their DNA structural properties. This holds potential to unravel a novel aspect of PRE/TRE-associated epigenetic memory as well as PcG/TrxG-mediated transcriptional regulation.