Mapping the retrotransposon-mediated layer of neuronal gene regulation in the human genome
| Title | Mapping the retrotransposon-mediated layer of neuronal gene regulation in the human genome |
|---|---|
| Acronym | PRIMATE-TE-IMPACT |
| Website | http://www.frankjacobslab.com |
| Start date | 2016-11-01 |
| End date | 2021-10-31 |
| Sponsor | European Research Council - Starting Grant (ERC-StG) |
| Institution | University of Amsterdam |
Associated cell lines
Project Description
This research program investigates the influence of retrotransposons, parasitic DNA sequences in our genome, on the expression of neuronal genes. We will investigate to which extent recent retrotransposon invasions have shaped gene-regulatory networks that drive human neuronal development and explore how some of these changes may have made our brain more susceptible to disease. Based on preliminary findings, this research program will explore whether loss of silencing of retrotransposons, as a result of an altered epigenetic landscape, is responsible for dysregulation of genes associated with neurological diseases. Finding further support for this in the current research program, will form the basis of a novel concept which can explain how changes in the epigenetic landscape can uncover a dormant genetic predisposition to disease.