Hajera Amatullah

Epigenetic Regulation of Innate Immunity

Our lab’s overarching research interest is in understanding the development of our innate immune system and how loss of its regulation leads to disease, particularly in the context of an ever-changing environment. Epigenetic processes lie at the nexus of gene-environment interaction. The epigenome, encompassing higher order chromatin organization, covalent modifications of the DNA or histone proteins packaging the DNA, collectively enables precise regulation of accessibility and usage of genetic material. Epigenetic “writers” and “erasers” modify histones which serve as docking platforms for epigenetic “readers” to interpret and recruit appropriate transcriptional machinery to facilitate or prevent gene expression. Dysregulated epigenetic enzymes and aberrant chromatin landscapes are sentinel events appreciated in cancer and therapeutic interventions targeting these proteins have recently received a lot of attention; however, our understanding of their contribution in immune-mediated disorders (such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus) remains fairly limited and the potential for therapeutic intervention remains untapped. Our lab uses primary immune cells and in vivo mouse models to study how disruption of epigenetic regulators lead to loss of proper immune function and homeostasis.