Email: yankulov@uoguelph.ca
Office: SCIE 3245
Ext: 56466
Lab: SCIE 3203
Ext: 58238
Profile
My first professional exposure was in an institute with a total focus on molecular mechanisms of fundamental biological process. I guess this exposure became an imprint: many years later I still find excitement in studying fundamental processes such as transcription, gene expression and DNA replication. I still find inspiration in the grey and dark areas in these extensively studied, but not at all completely explored fields oMy first professional exposure was in an institute with a focus on molecular mechanisms of fundamental biological process. I guess this exposure became an imprint: many years later I am still finding excitement in studying fundamental processes such as transcription, gene expression and DNA replication. I still find inspiration in the grey and dark areas in these extensively studied, but not at all completely explored fields of research.f research.
Education
B.Sc. - Sofia, Bulgaria
Ph.D. - Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, England
Research
- Telomeres: gene repression and genome plasticity.
Telomeres are repetitive sequences at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. They confer the formation of repressive chromatin structures and exert strong gene repression signals. Interestingly, the length of telomeres and their structure have been heavily implicated in longevity, genome stability, cancer and genetic disease.
We use the telomeres of S.cerevisiae to study gene repression and the conversion between repressed and active state of genes. Ongoing studies focus on the possible role of dormant origins of DNA replication and associated factors in the epigenetic convertibility of genes. Using this simple genetically accessible model organism, we are attempting to decipher general principles of gene repression and its links to DNA replication.
- DNA replication
DNA replication is tightly controlled to allow exactly one round of duplication of the genome in each cell cycle. In eukaryotes, this control is exerted through factors, which confer one single firing of origins of DNA replication. We know reasonably well how these factors operate. However, we do not know how these factors communicate with the complex chromatin environment in eukaryotic nuclei. Recently we have identified a Histone Acetyl Transferase (GCN5), which strongly stimulates the activity of origins of DNA replication in the yeast S. cerevisiae. Studies on the role of histone acetylation in the assembly of pre-replicative complexes and their firing are under way.
Selected Publications
Yankulov K. A Zn-finger in Dbf4 is pointing to genotoxic hypersensitivity. Cell Cycle 2010; 9.
Espinosa MC, Rehman MA, Chisamore-Robert P, Jeffery D, Yankulov K. GCN5 is a positive regulator of origins of DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PLoS One 2010 ; 5:e8964.
Rehman MA, Yankulov K. The dual role of autonomously replicating sequences as origins of replication and as silencers. Curr Genet 2009; 55:357-63
Rehman MA, Wang D, Fourel G, Gilson E, Yankulov K. Subtelomeric ACS-containing proto-silencers act as antisilencers in replication factors mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Biol Cell 2009; 20:631-41.
A.-S. Berthiau, K. Yankulov, A. Bah, E. Revardel, R. J. Wellinger, V. Géli and E. Gilson. 2006. Subtelomeric proteins negatively regulate telomere elongation in budding yeast . EMBO J., 25(4):846-56
Dziak, R., D. Leishman, M. Radovic, B. K. Tye, and K. Yankulov. 2003. Evidence for a role of MCM (Mini-Chromosome Maintenance)5 in transcriptional repression of sub-telomeric and Ty-proximal genes in S. cerevisiae. J Biol Chem 15:15.
Teaching
MCB*6340 - Advanced Topics in Molecular Genetics. A graduate course focusing on recent advances in molecular genetics with an emphasis on epigenetics.
MBG*4240 - Applied Molecular Genetics. This is an upper level course on advanced molecular biology techniques.
MBG*2020 - Introductory Molecular Biology. A course on basic principles in molecular biology and genetics.
Graduate Students
Daniel Jeffery (Ph.D)
Patricia Chisamore-Robert (M.Sc.)
Arjun Chatterji (M.Sc.)