Function of Satellite RNA Transcription for Centromere Assembly and Mitotic Spindle Formation
Supervisors: Dr. Andreas Ettinger & Prof. Dr. Maria Elena Torres-Padilla
Enrolled from 2019 - 2024
I accomplished both my bachelor’s and Master’s degree at Chang Gung University, Taiwan. With the background of molecular biology, I am interested in epigenetics which opens a window to explain how fixed DNA sequences interact with changing environments. My previous work was mainly focused on the aberration of epigenetic regulation in cancer cells. By using epigenetic editing technology, I am able to reactivate abnormally silent tumor suppressor genes and even increase the sensitivity to chemotherapy.
Now, I am a PhD student at the Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells (IES), Helmholtz center Munich. Under the supervision of Dr. Andreas Ettinger and Dr. Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla, I am eager to unravel the mechanism behind the formation of centromere and aberrant chromosomal segregation during mouse embryonic stem cell division. My project is especially focused on how a non-coding RNA transcribed from centromere involves in spindle formation and the attachment to centromere region. With live-cell imaging techniques in our lab, it enables me to monitor the dynamics of this non-coding RNA within cell cycle and cytokinesis in real-time.
Current Position
Post-Doctoral Researcher at RIKEN - Yokohama, Japan
Team: Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology
Team Leader: Piero Carninci
Publications
- Chen YL, Jones AN, Crawford A, Sattler M, Ettinger A, Torres-Padilla ME. Determinants of minor satellite RNA function in chromosome segregation in mouse embryonic stem cells. J Cell Biol. 2024 Jul 1;223(7):e202309027. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202309027. Epub 2024 Apr 16. PMID: 38625077; PMCID: PMC11022885.