Gene regulation is fundamental to the proper functioning of a cell, and many cancers can be traced to abnormal gene regulation. Our goal is to understand how genes are regulated by combining genetic, biochemical and structural descriptions. Our expectation is that such information will contribute to the development of future therapeutic agents against cancer and other human diseases.

We combine biochemical and structural approaches, including X-ray crystallography, in our studies of chromatin enzymes. The questions that we wish to address include:

May 2012: Congratulations to undergrads Josh McAnulty and Zach Hostetler on their graduation, and a special congratulations to Zach on graduating as Student Marshal of the Eberly College of Science!

Jan 2012: Congratulations to Rob McGinty on his Damon Runyon Fellowship Award from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation!

Jan 2011: New video introduction to our research.

Nov 2009: We've moved to our new research space in the Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation on the 4th floor of North Frear Lab. You can check out pictures of the Opening Reception and the Center's research space.

Selected Publications:

• Chittuluru, J.R., Y. Chaban, J. Monnet-Saksouk, M. J. Carrozza, V. Sapountzi, W. Selleck, J. Huang, M. Cramet, S. Allard, G. Cai1, J. L. Workman, M.J. Fried, S. Tan, J. Cote and F. J. Asturias (2011). Structure and nucleosome interaction of the NuA4 and Piccolo-NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complexes. Nature Str. Mol. Biol. , 39:8378-8391. (abstract)
  
  
• Chatterjee, N., D. Sinha, M. Lemma-Dechassa, S. Tan, M. A. Shogren-Knaak, B. Bartholomew (2011). Histone H3 tail acetylation modulates ATP-dependent remodeling through multiple mechanisms. Nucl. Acid Research, 39:8378-8391. (abstract)
  
  
• Charles, G.M., C. Chen, S. C. Shih, S. R. Collins, P. Beltrao, X. Zhang, T. Sharma, S. Tan, A. L. Burlingame, N. J. Krogan, H. D. Madhani, G. J. Narlikar (2011). Site-specific acetylation mark on an essential chromatin-remodeling complex promotes resistance to replication stress. PNAS, 108:10620-10625. (abstract)
  
  
• Tan, S. and C.A. Davey (2011) Nucleosome stuctural studies. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., 21:128-136. (abstract)
  
  
• Tan, S. and K. Nagai (2011) Diversity makes for a rich tapestry. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., 21:81-82.
  
  
• Makde, R.D., J.R. England, H. Yennawar and S. Tan (2010). Structure of RCC1 chromatin factor bound to the nucleosome core particle. Nature, 467:562-566. (abstract)
  
  
• England, J.R., J. Huang, M.J. Jennings, R. D. Makde, and S. Tan (2010). RCC1 uses a conformationally diverse loop region to interact with the nucleosome: a model for the RCC1-nucleosome complex. J. Mol Biol., 398:518-529. (abstract)
  
  
• Choy, J.S., S. Wei, J.Y. Lee, S. Tan, S. Chu and T.H. Lee (2010) DNA methylation increases nucleosome compaction and rigidity, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 132:1782-1783. (abstract)
  
  
• Psathas, J.N., S. Zheng, S. Tan and J. Reese (2009) Set2-dependent K36 methylation is regulated by novel intratail interactions within H3, Mol. Cell. Biol., 29:6413-6426. (abstract)
  
  
• S. Tan and J. Reese (editors) (2009) BBA - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms Special Issue on Epigenetics, 1789:1-68.
  
  
• Selleck, W. and S. Tan (2008) Recombinant protein complex expression in E. coli, Curr Protocols Protein Sci, Chapter 5, unit 5.21. (abstract)
  
  
• Altaf, M., R.T. Utley, N. Lacoste, S. Tan, S.D. Briggs, J. Cote (2007) Interplay of chromatin modifiers on a short basic patch of histone H4 tail defines the boundary of telomeric heterochromatin, Mol. Cell, 28:1002-1014. (abstract)
  
  
• Barrios, A., W. Selleck, B. Hnatkovich, R. Kramer, D. Sermwittayawong and S. Tan (2007) Expression and purification of recombinant yeast Ada2/Ada3/Gcn5 and Piccolo NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complexes, Methods, 41:271-277. (abstract)
  
  
• Berndsen, C.E., W. Selleck, S.J. McBryant, J.C. Hansen, S. Tan and J.M. Denu (2007) Nucleosome recognition by the Piccolo NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complex, Biochemistry, 46:2091-2099. (abstract)
  
  
• Berndsen, C.E., B.N. Albaugh, S. Tan and J.M. Denu (2007) Catalytic mechanism of a MYST family histone acetyltransferase, Biochemistry, 46:623-629, Accelerated Publication. (abstract)
  
  
• Sermwittayawong, D. and S. Tan (2006) SAGA binds TBP via its Spt8 subunit in competition with DNA, implications for TBP recruitment, EMBO Journal, 25:3791-3800. (abstract)
  

• Doyon Y., C. Cayrou, M. Ullah, A.J. Landry, V. Cote, W. Selleck, W.S. Lane, S. Tan, W.J. Yang, X.J. and J. Cote (2006) ING Tumor Suppressor Proteins Are Critical Regulators of Chromatin Acetylation Required for Genome Expression and Perpetuation, Mol. Cell, 21:51-64. (abstract)
  
  
• Selleck, W., I. Fortin, D. Sermwittayawong, J. Cote and S. Tan (2005) The yeast Piccolo NuA4 HAT complex requires the Enhancer of Polycomb A and chromo domains to acetylate nucleosomes, Mol. Cell. Biol., 25:5535-5542. (abstract)
  
  
• Lichty, J.L., J.L. Malecki, H.D. Agnew, D.J. Michelson-Horowitz and S. Tan (2005) Comparison of Affinity Tags for Protein Purification, Prot. Expr. Purif., 41:98-105. (abstract)

• Tan, S., R.C. Kern and W. Selleck (2005) The pST44 polycistronic expression system for producing protein complexes in Escherichia coli, Prot. Expr. Purif., 40:385-395. (abstract)
  
  
• Doyon, Y., W. Selleck, W.S. Lane, S. Tan and J. Côté (2004) Structural and functional conservation of the NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complex from yeast to human, Mol. Cell. Biol., 24:1884-1896. (abstract)
  
  
• Boudreault, A.A. , D. Cronier, W. Selleck, N. Lacoste, R.T. Utley, S. Allard, J. Savard, W.S. Lane, S. Tan and J. Côté (2003) Yeast Enhancer of polycomb defines global Esa1-dependent acetylation of chromatin, Genes & Dev, 17:1415-1428. (abstract)
  
  
• Bleichenbacher, M.M., S. Tan and T.J. Richmond (2003) Novel Interactions Between the Components of Human and Yeast TFIIA/TBP/DNA Complexes, J. Mol Biol., 332:783-793. (abstract)
  
  
• Boyer, L.A., M.R. Langer, K.A. Crowley, S. Tan, J.M. Denu, and C.L. Peterson (2002) Essential role for the SANT domain in the functioning of multiple chromatin remodeling enzymes. Mol. Cell, 10:935-942. (abstract)
  
  
• Balasubramanian, R., M.G. Pray-Grant, W. Selleck, P.A. Grant and S. Tan (2002) Role of the Ada2 and Ada3 transcriptional coactivators in histone acetylation, J. Biol. Chem., 277: 7989-7995. (abstract)
  
  
• Selleck, W., R. Howley, J. Fang, V. Podolny, M.G. Fried, S. Buratowski and S. Tan (2001) A histone fold TAF octamer within the yeast TFIID transcriptional coactivator, Nature Struct. Biol., 8:695-700. (abstract)

• Brown, C.E., L. Howe, K. Sousa, S.C. Alley, M.J. Carrozza, S. Tan and J.L. Workman (2001) Recruitment of HAT complexes by direct activator interactions with the ATM-related Tra1 subunit, Science, 292: 2333-2337. (abstract)

• Tan, S. (2001) A Modular Polycistronic Expression System for Overexpressing Protein Complexes in Escherichia Coli, Prot. Expr. Purif., 21: 224-234. (abstract)

• Tan, S. (2001) One HAT size fits all?, Nature Struct. Biol., 8:8-10.

• Gaiser, F., S. Tan and T.J. Richmond (2000) Novel Dimerization Fold of RAP30/RAP74 in Human TFIIF at 1.7 Å Resolution , J. Mol Biol., 302: 1119-1127. (abstract)

• Tan, S., Y. Hunziker, L. Pellegrini and T.J. Richmond (2000) Crystallization of the yeast MATalpha2/MCM1/DNA ternary complex: general methods and principles for protein/DNA cocrystallization, J. Mol Biol., 297: 947-959. (reprint)

• Tan, S. and T.J. Richmond (1998) Crystal structure of the yeast MATalpha2/MCM1/DNA ternary complex, Nature, 391: 660-666. (abstract)

• Tan, S., Y. Hunziker, D.F. Sargent and T.J. Richmond (1996) Crystal structure of a yeast TFIIA/TBP/DNA complex, Nature, 381: 127-134. (abstract)

• Pellegrini, L, S. Tan and T.J. Richmond (1995) Structure of serum response factor core bound to DNA, Nature, 376: 490-498. (abstract)