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Michelle Brown
Biology

Eric Selker, Mentor

Role of Histone Deacetylase 3 in Heterochromatin Formation in Neurospora crassa

Epigenetic regulation is an endogenous eukaryotic method of gene regulation involving changes in chromatin structure. Incorrect epigenetic regulation can cause tumor formation and inherited diseases in organisms. Histone deacetylase 3 (HDA3) may be a key player in heterochromatin formation and gene silencing in Neurospora crassa. hda-3 mutants allows exploration of the role of HDA3 gene product in histone modifications, DNA methylation, and heterochromatin formation.