Frédéric Berger

Evolution of Chromatin

Research Focus

In eukaryotes, DNA is wrapped around nucleosomes. Nucleosomes consist of proteins called histones and help organize DNA into functional units, they are thus critical for all cellular processes that affect DNA. Nucleosome properties are modulated by their composition in different variants of histone proteins. In addition, chemical modifications of histones regulate nucleosome properties. These modifications are deposited, erased and bound by different protein complexes that form chromatin. Chromatin is the recipient of the epigenetic code that influences how the transcription and DNA repair machineries operate. Because chromatin is present is all eukaryotes, it must have evolved both in prokaryotes and during eukaryogenesis.

The Berger lab investigates the evolution of chromatin and its impacts on processes such as transcription, DNA repair and meiosis. Genetics, genomics, and biochemical analyses are combined with synthetic strategies to study chromatin in models of Archaeplastida, yeast, E. coli and Asgard Archeae.

News from the Berger Lab

21.09.2023

New origin story for key regulatory gene

The key protein complex PRC2 was discovered decades ago to silence genes, but new findings by Frederic Berger and his group at the…

27.07.2023

Histone variants shape the Arabidopsis epigenome

A new eLife paper by Fred Berger uncovers the key role histone variants play in establishing chromatin states in Arabidopsis.

Selected Publications

Hisanaga T, Romani F, Wu S, et al. (2023) The Polycomb repressive complex 2 deposits H3K27me3 and represses transposable elements in a broad range of eukaryotes. Curr Biol 33(20):4367-80 preprint bioRxiv:2022.10.24.513474.

Jamge B, Lorković Z, Axelsson E, at al. (2022) Transcriptional activity is shaped by the chromatin landscapes in Arabidopsis. bioRxiv:2022.06.02.494419.

Bourguet P, Yelagandula R, Kim To T, et al. (2022) The histone variant H2A.W cooperates with chromatin modifications and linker histone H1 to maintain transcriptional silencing of transposons in Arabidopsis. bioRxiv:2022.05.31.493688.

Montgomery SA, Hisanaga T, Wang N, et al. (2022) Polycomb-mediated repression of paternal chromosomes maintains haploid dosage in diploid embryos of Marchantia. Elife 11:e79258 preprint bioRxiv:2022.02.04.477531.

Osakabe A, Jamge B, Axelsson E, et al. (2021) The chromatin remodeler DDM1 prevents transposon mobility through deposition of histone variant H2A.W. Nat Cell Biol 23(4):391-400.

Group members

Group Leader

Frederic BERGER

Senior Postdocs

Postdoctoral Fellows

PhD Students

Bioinformaticians

Elin Anna Maria AXELSSON

Senior Research Assistants

Svetlana AKIMCHEVA

Research Assistants

Interns and Master Students

Visiting Scientists

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