Small molecule modulators of chromatin modifying enzymes to elucidate differentiation pathways:
Our laboratory has also been actively working on the small molecule modulators of chromatin modifying enzymes for more than a decade now. Apart from several small molecule inhibitors of lysine acetyltransferases and arginine methyltransferase, we have also discovered the first known small molecule activator of p300/CBP lysine acetyltransferase, which could activate histone acetylation in mice brain and thereby enhance the neurogenesis process and spatial memory. At present the mechanisms of p300/CBP activation and neurogenesis is one of the key interests of our group. Our laboratory has discovered new molecule to target, specific histone acetyl transferase PCAF and using this molecule, the gene network for muscle differentiation has been established. By employing one of the site specific inhibitors of the histone arginine methyl transferase CARM1, a new mechanism of glial differentiation has been shown by our group.
Prof. Tapas K Kundu, Dr. Ruthrotha Selvi B, Dr. Rahul Modak, Dr. Amrutha Swaminathan,
Modak R, Basha J, Bharathy N, Maity K, Mizar P, Bhat A, Vasudevan M, Rao V K, Kok W K, Nagashayana N, Taneja R,Kundu TK*.(2013) Probing p300/CBP associated factor (PCAF)-dependent pathways with a specific small molecule inhibitor of lysine acetyltransferase. ACS Chem Biol : 8(6):1311-23.
