Regulation of gene expression by acetylation and lactylation of histone proteins

Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DRF-26-0226  

Direction

DRF

Thesis topic details

Category

Life Sciences

Thesis topics

Regulation of gene expression by acetylation and lactylation of histone proteins

Contract

Thèse

Job description

In eukaryotic cells, DNA wraps around histone proteins to form chromatin. Dynamic modification of histones by various chemical structures allows for fine regulation of gene expression. Alterations in these complex regulatory mechanisms are responsible for many diseases. Acetylation of histone lysines is known to induce gene expression. Other structures can be added to histones, whose effects on transcription remain largely unclear. Most of them, such as lactylation discovered in 2019, depend on cellular metabolism. We are studying this new modification in murine spermatogenesis: this process of cell differentiation is an ideal model for studying transcription regulation, due to dramatic changes in chromatin composition and gene expression patterns. We have established the distribution of acetylated and lactylated marks on three lysines of histone H3 across the genome. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to deciphering the “histone language,” first by studying the role of lactylations on the transcriptional program. Next, the prediction of chromatin states will be refined by integrating our new data with numerous available epigenomic data within neural network models.

University / doctoral school

Chimie et Sciences du Vivant (EDCSV)
Université Grenoble Alpes

Thesis topic location

Site

Grenoble

Requester

Position start date

01/10/2026

Person to be contacted by the applicant

PFLIEGER Delphine delphine.pflieger@cea.fr
CNRS
UA13 Inserm/CEA/Université Grenoble Alpes
EDYP/BGE/DS/IRIG
CEA de Grenoble
17 rue des Martyrs
38054 GRENOBLE cedex 09
0438782265

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

PFLIEGER Delphine delphine.pflieger@cea.fr
CNRS
UA13 Inserm/CEA/Université Grenoble Alpes
EDYP/BGE/DS/IRIG
CEA de Grenoble
17 rue des Martyrs
38054 GRENOBLE cedex 09
0438782265

En savoir plus

https://www.edyp.fr/web/research-activity/histone/
https://www.bge-lab.fr/Pages/Presentation.aspx