Research Biographies

PROFESSOR WENDY BICKMORE

Chromosomes and Gene Expression

Head of Chromosomes and Gene Expression

Contact Details

Research Areas

Despite its immense length, the linear sequence map of the human genome is an incomplete description of our genetic information. This is because information on genome function and gene regulation is also encoded in the way that the DNA sequence is folded up with proteins within chromosomes and within the nucleus. Our work tries to understand the three-dimensional folding of the genome, and how this controls how our genome functions in normal development and how this may be perturbed in disease.

Chromatin Folding
Nuclear Organisation

Key/Selected Publications

• Williamson I, Eskeland R, Lettice LA, Hill AE, Boyle S, Grimes GR, Hill RE, Bickmore WA: Anterior-posterior differences in HoxD chromatin topology in limb development. Development 139:3157-3167, 2012. PubMed Abstract
• Boyle S, Rodesch MJ, Halvensleben HA, Jeddeloh JA, Bickmore WA: Fluorescence in situ hybridization with high-complexity repeat-free oligonucleotide probes generated by massively parallel synthesis Chromosome Res 19:901-909, 2011. PubMed Abstract
• Eskeland R, Leeb M, Grimes GR, Kress C, Boyle S, Sproul D, Gilbert N, Fan Y, Skoultchi AI, Wutz A, Bickmore WA: Ring1B compacts chromatin structure and represses gene expression independent of histone ubiquitination. Mol Cell 38:452-464, 2010. PubMed Abstract
• Finlan, L.E.; Sproul, D.; Thomson, I.; Boyle, S.; Kerr, E.; Perry, P.; Ylstra, B.; Chubb, J.R. and Bickmore, W.A. Recruitment to the nuclear periphery can alter expression of genes in human cells. PLoS Genet 4(3):e1000039, 2008 PubMed Abstract
• Morey, C.; Da Silva, N.R.; Kmita, M.; Duboule, D. and Bickmore, W.A. Ectopic nuclear reorganisation driven by a Hoxb1 transgene transposed into Hoxd. J Cell Sci 121(Pt 5):571-577, 2008 PubMed Abstract
• Morey C, Da Silva NR, Perry P and Bickmore WA Nuclear re-organisation and chromatin decondensation are conserved, but distinct, mechanisms linked to Hox gene activation. Develop. 134:909-919, 2007 PubMed Abstract
• Chambeyron, S. and Bickmore, W.A. Chromatin decondensation and nuclear reorganization of the HoxB locus upon induction of transcription. Genes Dev 18:1119-1130, 2004 PubMed Abstract
• Gilbert, N.; Boyle, S.; Fiegler, H.; Woodfine, K.; Carter, N.P. and Bickmore, W.A. Chromatin architecture of the human genome; gene-rich domains are enriched in open chromatin fibers.
  Cell 118:555-566, 2004 PubMed Abstract

Other Recent Publications

• Zuleger N, Boyle S, Kelly DA, de Las Heras JI, Lazou V, Korfali N, Batrakou DG, Randles KN, Morris GE, Harrison DJ, Bickmore WA, Schirmer EC: Specific nuclear envelope transmembrane proteins can promote the location of chromosomes to and from the nuclear periphery. Genome Biol. 2013 Feb 15;14(2):R14. Pubmed Abstract
• Endoh M, Endo TA, Endoh T, Isono K, Sharif J, Ohara O, Toyoda T, Ito T, Eskeland R, Bickmore WA, Vidal M, Bernstein BE, Koseki H: Histone H2A Mono-Ubiquitination Is a Crucial Step to Mediate PRC1-Dependent Repression of Developmental Genes to Maintain ES Cell Identity. PLoS Genet 8:e1002774, 2012.
  PubMed Abstract
• Illingworth RS, Botting CH, Grimes GR, Bickmore WA, Eskeland R: PRC1 and PRC2 are not required for targeting of H2A.Z to developmental genes in embryonic stem cells. PLoS One 7:e34848, 2012. PubMed Abstract
• Pradeepa MM, Sutherland HG, Ule J, Grimes GR, Bickmore WA: Psip1/Ledgf p52 Binds Methylated Histone H3K36 and Splicing Factors and Contributes to the Regulation of Alternative Splicing. PLoS Genet 8:e1002717, 2012. PubMed Abstract
• Dostie J, Bickmore WA: Chromosome organization in the nucleus - charting new territory across the Hi-Cs. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2012. PubMed Abstract
• Wood AJ, Bickmore WA: A condensed view of chromatin during T cell development. EMBO J 30(2):235-236, 2011. PubMed Abstract
• Eskeland R, Freyer E, Leeb M, Wutz A, Bickmore WA: Histone Acetylation and the Maintenance of Chromatin Compaction by Polycomb Repressive Complexes. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 2011. PubMed Abstract
• Williamson, I.; Hill, R.E. and Bickmore, W.A. Enhancers: from developmental genetics to the genetics of common human disease. Dev Cell 21(1):17-19, 2011 PubMed Abstract
• Harewood, L.; Schutz, F.; Boyle, S.; Perry, P.; Delorenzi, M.; Bickmore, W.A. and Reymond, A. The effect of translocation-induced nuclear reorganization on gene expression. Genome Res, 20:554-564, 2010 PubMed Abstract
• Kocanova, S.; Kerr, E.A.; Rafique, S.; Boyle, S.; Katz, E.; Caze-Subra, S.; Bickmore, W.A. and Bystricky, K. Activation of estrogen-responsive genes does not require their nuclear co-localization. PLoS Genet. 6(4):e1000922, 2010 PubMed Abstract