Degree Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2020
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Major
Biochemistry
First Advisor
Davit A Potoyan
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation of intrinsically disordered proteins has recently become a foundational mechanism in molecular and cell biology. The emergent ``liquid view" is offering a fresh perspective for understanding a longstanding problem of chromatin organization and regulation in eukaryotic nuclei. The family of heterochromatin proteins have been shown to undergo phase separation {in vivo} and {in vitro}, thereby providing clues for connecting molecular interactions of proteins, formation of heterochromatin domains, and the emergent gene regulatory processes. Understanding the molecular specificity and mechanisms by which heterochromatin proteins orchestrate nuclear processes, however, is a highly non-trivial question because of the multi-scale nature of the system, spanning from individual molecular components to large-scale nuclear domains. In this thesis, we report first steps toward understanding the multi-scale picture of heterochromatin protein actions. By carrying out simulations of heterochromatin protein components with all-atom and coarse-grained modeling, we shed light on detailed molecular features which drive the formation of aggregates and condensates in the nucleus. The study provides a stepping stone towards understanding heterochromatin formation and gene silencing from a ground-up molecular perspective.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-20200902-108
Copyright Owner
Jazelli Lenae Mueterthies
Copyright Date
2020-08
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
36 pages
Recommended Citation
Mueterthies, Jazelli Lenae, "Multi-scale computational studies of heterochromatin protein-1" (2020). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 18189.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/18189
