Dr. Elizabeth Bayne, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh
Wednesday 18th March, 4.00 p.m., Stacey Lecture Theatre 1
RNA interference is a conserved mechanism of gene regulation mediated by small RNAs. Although commonly functioning post-transcriptionally, these small RNAs can also act at the transcriptional level by directing modifications to chromatin. Such RNAi-directed chromatin modification plays important roles in gene regulation and genome stability in a range of organisms including plants, flies and worms, but in most cases the mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly defined. To address this we are studying one of the best characterised examples of small RNA-directed chromatin modification: RNAi-dependent heterochromatin assembly in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. I will describe our recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanism by which RNAi is coupled to chromatin modification in fission yeast, as well as our ongoing investigations into additional factors that contribute to heterochromatin regulation in this system.