Our research is presently focused on the relationships between the organization of chromatin and its epigenetic properties, in particular on histone variants. Histone variants, the non-allelic histone isoforms, are key epigenetic players. They are implicated in the regulation of several processes including transcription, repair, senescence, cell division and meiosis. However, the exact function of the histone variants in these processes is far from being clear.

The most notable contributions of the lab are:

• The analyses of functions of H2ABbd, H2AZ and CENP-A histone variants, and the identification of some of their chaperones and remodeling factors. Among others, we have shown that the chromatin remodelers from the SWI/SNF family, in contrast to the remodelers from other families, exhibit an intriguing two step mechanism of nucleosome remodeling, requiring the formation of a “remosome”, a novel nucleosome-like particle with perturbed histone-DNA interactions

• The characterization of both the binding site on nucleosomes for histone H1 and the 3D organization of the 30 nm chromatin fiber, a classical problem that had defied solution for several decades. We have also studied how histone variants affect both the binding of H1 and the organization of the 30 nm chromatin fiber.

• The identification of an alternative conformation of nucleosomes, termed remosomes, and the role of histone variants in remosome formation.