Barbara A. Hamkalo
Professor, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biological Sciences
School of Biological Sciences
PH.D., University of Massachussetts
University of California, Irvine
Mail Code: 3900
Irvine, CA 92697
Mail Code: 3900
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Eukaryotic Chromosome Structure and Function
Research Abstract
The research in Professor Hamkalo's laboratory is directed toward understanding the relationship between eukaryotic chromosome structure, organization, and function. There are two major areas of interest.
One major area of interest is in the composition, structure, and function of centromeric heterochromatin in the chromosomes of vertebrates. We are attempting to identify centromeric satellite DNA-specific binding proteins that may be involved in differential condensation using a novel method that permits isolation of sequences as nucleoprotein complexes. In addition, we are using histone H1 subtype-specific antibodies which we have generated in order to determine the distribution of different subtypes relative to chromosome organization and to investigate the possibility that specific subtype(s) may be heterochromatin-specific .
A second major emphasis is the identification of homologous proteins and genes in yeast so that it will be possible to assess function in a genetically tractable system. Finally, in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory, we are characterizing a mini-chromosome in mouse 3T3 cells which appears to be little more than a centromer region as a starting material to identify mammalian centromere functional sequences.
One major area of interest is in the composition, structure, and function of centromeric heterochromatin in the chromosomes of vertebrates. We are attempting to identify centromeric satellite DNA-specific binding proteins that may be involved in differential condensation using a novel method that permits isolation of sequences as nucleoprotein complexes. In addition, we are using histone H1 subtype-specific antibodies which we have generated in order to determine the distribution of different subtypes relative to chromosome organization and to investigate the possibility that specific subtype(s) may be heterochromatin-specific .
A second major emphasis is the identification of homologous proteins and genes in yeast so that it will be possible to assess function in a genetically tractable system. Finally, in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory, we are characterizing a mini-chromosome in mouse 3T3 cells which appears to be little more than a centromer region as a starting material to identify mammalian centromere functional sequences.
Publications
Parseghian, M.H., A.H. Henschen, K.G. Krieglstein and B.A. Hamkalo (1994). A proposal for a coherent mammalian histone H1 nomenclature based on amino acid sequences. Protein Science 3:575.
Narayanswami, S., J.L. Doering, F.J. Fokta, D.S. Rosenthal, T.-N. Nguyen and B.A. Hamkalo (1995). Chromosomal locations of a major tRNA gene clusters of Xenopus laevis. Chromosoma 104:68.
Eggena, M., M.H., O. Cohavy, Parseghian, B.A. Hamkalo, O. Cohavy, L. Iwanczyk, D. Clemens, S.R. Targan, L.K. Gordon and J. Braun (2000). Identification of histone H1 as a cognate antigen of the ulcerative colitis associated marker antibody PANCA, J. Autoimmun. 14:83.
Jasinskas, A. and B.A. Hamkalo (1999). Chromosomes purification and initial characterization of primate satellite chromatin. Chrom. Res. 7: 341.
Parseghian, M.H. R.L. Newcomb, S.T. Winokur, and B.A. Hamkalo (2000). The distribution of somatic H1 subtypes is non-random active vs. inactive chromatin. I. Distribution in human on fetal fibroblasts. Chrom. Res. (in press).
Professional Societies
Graduate Programs
Biotechnology
Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=2160
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=2160
Last updated
04/18/2005
04/18/2005