This study identifies a non-centromeric role for CENP-B in binding hairpin motifs in chromosome arms, leading to dysregulated gene expression upon depletion.

bioRxiv · Apr 13, 2026 · PreprintCell Biology

ARID1A stabilises non-homologous end joining factors at DNA breaks induced by the G4 ligand pyridostatin

Susana Simoes‐Sousa, Noa Amin, Karen A. Lane, Alison Harrod, Malin Pedersen, Mercedes Pardo, Christine Rasetti‐Escargueil, Zuza Kozik, Katheryn Begg, Alison Ribeiro, Susana N. Banerjee, Manuel Stucki, Kevin Joseph Harrington, Jyoti Sharma Choudhary, Jessica A. Downs

This study shows ARID1A deficiency increases sensitivity to the G4 ligand pyridostatin due to impaired DNA repair, highlighting a role for ARID1A in G4 ligand-induced DNA damage responses.

Cell Reports · Sep 1, 2025Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology

Genome-wide Chromosome-specific Aneuploidy Engineering and Phenotypic Characterization with CRISPR-Taiji

Hugang Feng, Daqi Deng, Rashmi Dahiya, Libin Wang, Jingkun Zeng, Benjy J.Y. Tan, Fiona Byrne, Scott T.C. Shepherd, Jiahao Wang, Sarah C. Johnson, Alison Harrod, Karen A. Lane, Annika Fendler, Anne-Laure Cattin, Zayd Tippu, , Samra Turajlic

The paper introduces CRISPR-Taiji to engineer chromosome-specific aneuploidy and characterizes its transcriptomic effects, linking aneuploidy to ccRCC phenotypes.

bioRxiv · Apr 25, 2025 · PreprintGenomics

PBRM1 directs PBAF to pericentromeres and protects centromere integrity

Karen A. Lane, Alison Harrod, Lillian Wu, Theodoros I. Roumeliotis, Hugang Feng, Shane Foo, Katheryn Begg, Federica Schiavoni, Noa Amin, Frank T. Zenke, Alan A. Melcher, Jyoti Sharma Choudhary, Jessica A. Downs

This study identifies PBAF as a protector of centromere and pericentromere structure, showing that PBRM1 loss leads to centromere fragility and therapeutic vulnerability.

Nature Communications · Feb 26, 2025Peer-reviewedMolecular Biology