Research Groups > Lymphocyte Development
We are interested in cell commitment and gene regulation during development. We use lymphocytes and other cell types as models to study how gene expression patterns are transmitted through cell division, and to explore the molecular basis of lineage choice.
The group studies transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie cellular differentiation and experimental reprogramming. Currently, the core research activities of the group include the following inter-related studies:
- Ikaros family transcription factors
- cohesin function in gene expression and genome organization
- REST and Polycomb repressor complexes in stem cells
- Pluripotency and reprogramming
- RNA interference, dicer and small non coding RNAs
Chromatin profiling is being used to identify events involved in maintaining embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency versus differentiation towards mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm, and in examining the differentiation of T and B cell subsets from haematopoietic precursors.
Figure 1. Alternative models of Haematopoiesis (click on image to enlarge).
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Figure 2. Reprogramming human B cells for pluripotency
– a human nucleus (green) is reprogrammed by a mouse ES cell nucleus (red) contained within an experimental heterokaryon
– a human nucleus (green) is reprogrammed by a mouse ES cell nucleus (red) contained within an experimental heterokaryon
Group heads
Amanda Fisher (Professor)
Telephone 38249 (Director) 38238/38242 (Group)
Email
Matthias Merkenschlager (Professor)
Telephone 38239
Email
Group members
Hakan Bagci (Mr)
Rory Blevins (Mr)
Telephone 32145
Email
Karen Brown (Dr)
Telephone 38234/38329
Email
Ludovica Bruno (Dr)
Telephone 32145
Email
Irene Cantone (Miss)
Isabel Ferreiros Vidal (Dr)
Telephone 32145
Email
Cynthia Fisher (Dr)
Telephone 38236
Email
Bryony Graham (Miss)
Preksha Gupta (Miss)
David Landeira (Dr)
Telephone 38286
Email
Thais Lavagnolli (Ms)
Feng Li (Dr)
Ziwei Liang (Miss)
Andy Malinowski (Mr)
Antoine Marcais (Dr)
Telephone 32140
Email
Francesco Piccolo (Mr)
Telephone 32145
Email
Jorge Soza Ried (Mr)
Vlad Seitan (Dr)
Luke Williams (Dr)
Telephone 38286
Email
Admin contact
Tathiana Santana (Ms)
Telephone 38236
Email
Contact details
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8383 8238/8239
Facsimile: +44 (0) 20 8383 8338
Facsimile: +44 (0) 20 8383 8338
Selected publications
Seitan VC, Hao B, Tachibana-Konwalski K, Lavagnolli T, Mira-Bontenbal H, Brown KE, Teng G, Carroll T, Terry A, Horan K, Marks H, Adams DJ, Schatz DG, Aragon L, Fisher AG, Krangel MS, Nasmyth K, Merkenschlager M, (2011) A role for cohesin in t-cell-receptor rearrangement and thymocyte differentiation. Nature 476, 467–471. Abstract
Jørgensen, H. F. and Fisher, A. G. (2010). Can Controversies be put to REST? Nature 467, E3–E4. Abstract
Pereira, C. F., Piccolo, F. M., Tsubouchi, T., Sauer, S., Ryan, N. K., Bruno, L., Landeira, D., Santos, J., Banito, A., Gil, J. Koseki, H., Merkenschlager, M. and Fisher, A. G. (2010). ESCs require Prc2 to direct the successful reprogramming of differentiated cells toward pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell 6, 547–556. Abstract
Landeira, D., Sauer, S., Poot, R., Dvorkina, M., Mazzarella, L., Jørgensen, H. F., Pereira, C. F., Leleu, M., Piccolo, F. M., Spivakov, M., Brookes, E., Pombo, A., Fisher, C., Skarnes, W. C., Snoek, T., Bezstarosti, K., Demmers, J., Klose, R. J., Casanova, M., Tavares, L., Brockdorff, N., Merkenschlager, M., Fisher, A. G. (2010). Jarid2 is a Prc2 component in embryonic stem cells required for multi-lineage differentiation and recruitment of Prc1 and RNA polymerase II to developmental regulators. Nature Cell Biology 12, 618–624. Abstract
Hadjur, S, Williams, L. M., Ryan, N. K., Cobb, B. S., Sexton, T., Fraser, P., Fisher, A. G., Merkenschlager, M. (2009). Cohesins form chromosomal cis-interactions at the developmentally regulated IFNG locus. Nature 460, 410–413. Abstract
Parelho, V., Hadjur, S., Spivakov, M., Leleu, M., Sauer, S., Gregson, H. C., Jarmuz, A., Canzonetta, C., Webster, Z., Nesterova, T., Cobb, B. S., Yokomori, K., Dillon, N., Aragon, L., Fisher, A. G. & Merkenschlager, M. (2008). Cohesins functionally associate with CTCF on mammalian chromosome arms. Cell 132, 422-433. Abstract
Thompson, E. C., Cobb, B. S., Sabbattini, P., Meixlsperger, S., Parelho, V., Liberg, D., Taylor, B., Dillon, N., Georgopoulos, K., Jumaa, H., Smale, S. T., Fisher, A. G. & Merkenschlager, M. (2007). Ikaros DNA-binding proteins as integral components of B cell developmental-stage-specific regulatory circuits. Immunity 26, 335-344. Abstract
Azuara, V., Perry, P., Sauer, S., Spivakov, M., Jørgensen, H. F., John, R. M., Gouti, M., Casanova, M., Warnes, G., Merkenschlager, M. & Fisher, A. G. (2006). Chromatin signatures of pluripotent cell lines. Nature Cell Biology 8, 532-538. Abstract
Jørgensen, H. F. and Fisher, A. G. (2010). Can Controversies be put to REST? Nature 467, E3–E4. Abstract
Pereira, C. F., Piccolo, F. M., Tsubouchi, T., Sauer, S., Ryan, N. K., Bruno, L., Landeira, D., Santos, J., Banito, A., Gil, J. Koseki, H., Merkenschlager, M. and Fisher, A. G. (2010). ESCs require Prc2 to direct the successful reprogramming of differentiated cells toward pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell 6, 547–556. Abstract
Landeira, D., Sauer, S., Poot, R., Dvorkina, M., Mazzarella, L., Jørgensen, H. F., Pereira, C. F., Leleu, M., Piccolo, F. M., Spivakov, M., Brookes, E., Pombo, A., Fisher, C., Skarnes, W. C., Snoek, T., Bezstarosti, K., Demmers, J., Klose, R. J., Casanova, M., Tavares, L., Brockdorff, N., Merkenschlager, M., Fisher, A. G. (2010). Jarid2 is a Prc2 component in embryonic stem cells required for multi-lineage differentiation and recruitment of Prc1 and RNA polymerase II to developmental regulators. Nature Cell Biology 12, 618–624. Abstract
Hadjur, S, Williams, L. M., Ryan, N. K., Cobb, B. S., Sexton, T., Fraser, P., Fisher, A. G., Merkenschlager, M. (2009). Cohesins form chromosomal cis-interactions at the developmentally regulated IFNG locus. Nature 460, 410–413. Abstract
Parelho, V., Hadjur, S., Spivakov, M., Leleu, M., Sauer, S., Gregson, H. C., Jarmuz, A., Canzonetta, C., Webster, Z., Nesterova, T., Cobb, B. S., Yokomori, K., Dillon, N., Aragon, L., Fisher, A. G. & Merkenschlager, M. (2008). Cohesins functionally associate with CTCF on mammalian chromosome arms. Cell 132, 422-433. Abstract
Thompson, E. C., Cobb, B. S., Sabbattini, P., Meixlsperger, S., Parelho, V., Liberg, D., Taylor, B., Dillon, N., Georgopoulos, K., Jumaa, H., Smale, S. T., Fisher, A. G. & Merkenschlager, M. (2007). Ikaros DNA-binding proteins as integral components of B cell developmental-stage-specific regulatory circuits. Immunity 26, 335-344. Abstract
Azuara, V., Perry, P., Sauer, S., Spivakov, M., Jørgensen, H. F., John, R. M., Gouti, M., Casanova, M., Warnes, G., Merkenschlager, M. & Fisher, A. G. (2006). Chromatin signatures of pluripotent cell lines. Nature Cell Biology 8, 532-538. Abstract
