The paper examines how histone modifications vary across mouse strains and correlates these variations with gene expression, finding strong links between chromatin states and gene expression, but not DNA methylation.

Genome Research · Jun 1, 2023Peer-reviewedGenomics

Quantitative analysis of ZFY and CTCF reveals dependent recognition of tandem zinc finger proteins.

Zheng Zuo, Timothy Billings, Michael Walker, Petko M. Petkov, Polly Morrell Fordyce, Gary D. Stormo

The paper quantifies how tandem zinc fingers in ZFY, CTCF, and ZNF343 recognize DNA motifs, showing dependent recognition and non-additive specificity.

Nucleic Acids Research · Mar 14, 2023Peer-reviewedGenetics

Differential effects of two catalytic mutations on full-length PRDM9 and its isolated PR/SET domain reveal a case of pseudo-modularity

Natalie R. Powers, Timothy Billings, Kenneth Paigen, Petko M. Petkov

The paper examines two catalytic mutations in PRDM9, showing they affect methyltransferase activity differently in full-length versus isolated PR/SET domain, revealing non-modular behavior.

Genetics · Oct 9, 2021Peer-reviewedGenetics

EWSR1 affects PRDM9-dependent histone 3 methylation and provides a link between recombination hotspots and the chromosome axis

Hui Tian, Timothy Billings, Michael Walker, Petko M. Petkov, Christopher L. Baker

The paper shows EWSR1 is essential for PRDM9-dependent histone methylation and linking recombination hotspots to the chromosome axis during meiosis.

Molecular Biology of the Cell · Nov 11, 2020Peer-reviewedDevelopmental Biology

Sexual dimorphism in the meiotic requirement for PRDM9: a mammalian evolutionary safeguard

Natalie R. Powers, Beth L. Dumont, Chihiro Emori, Raman Akinyanju Lawal, Catherine Brunton, Kenneth Paigen, Mary Ann Handel, Ewelina Bolcun‐Filas, Petko M. Petkov, Tanmoy Bhattacharyya

The paper shows that sex-specific modifiers, like CHK2, allow female fertility without PRDM9, revealing sex-specific regulation of meiotic recombination.

Science Advances · Oct 23, 2020Peer-reviewedGenetics

Tissue-specific trans regulation of the mouse epigenome

Christopher L. Baker, Michael Walker, Seda Arat, Guruprasad Ananda, Pavlina Petkova, Natalie R. Powers, Hui Tian, Catrina A. Spruce, Bo Ji, Dylan M. Rausch, Kwangbom Choi, Petko M. Petkov, Gregory W. Carter, Kenneth Paigen

The paper identifies tissue-specific trans-regulation of H3K4me3 levels in mouse cell types and links it to histone quantitative trait loci (hQTL) associated with zinc finger genes.

Genetics · Dec 28, 2018Peer-reviewedGenomics

PRDM9 forms a multiprotein complex tethering recombination hotspots to the chromosomal axis

Emil D. Parvanov, Hui Tian, Timothy Billings, Ruth L. Saxl, Catrina Spruce, Rakesh Aithal, Lumir Krejci, Kenneth Paigen, Petko M. Petkov

The paper identifies proteins that form a complex with PRDM9 to tether recombination hotspots to the chromosomal axis during meiosis.

bioRxiv · Sep 16, 2016 · PreprintCell Biology