May 2017: Our paper describing plasmids to prepare DNA ladders inexpensively is published in Scientific Reports. Read the news release and about the undergraduate researchers.

April 2015: Song Tan awarded the Penn State Faculty Scholar Medal

March 2015: Congratulations to Rob McGinty on his Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists!

November 2014: Ryan Henrici is awarded a Marshall Scholarship for graduate studies in the U.K.!

October 2014: Our paper describing the structure of the PRC1 ubiquitylation module/nucleosome complex is published in Nature (News & Views, press release).

October 2014: Song Tan awarded the Eberly College of Science C.I. Noll Award for Excellence in Teaching

April 2014: Congratulations to Brian Geary ('01) on his Penn State Alumni Achievement Award!

March 2014: Congratulations to Ryan Henrici on being named a Goldwater Scholar!

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!

April 2012: Congratulations to Heather Agnew ('03) on her Penn State Alumni Achievement Award!

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.

The Penn State 34th Summer Symposium in Molecular Biology on the topic of Chromatin and Epigenetic Regulation of Transcription was held on July 21-24, 2015.

Selected Publications:

• Henrici, R.C., Pecen, T.J., Johnston, J.L and Tan, S. (2017) The pPSU plasmids for generating DNA molecular weight markers, Scientific Reports, 7:2438.
  
  
• McGinty, R.K., R.D. Makde and S. Tan (2016). Preparation, crystallization, and structure determination of chromatin enzyme/nucleosome complexes, Method Enzymol, 573:43-65. (abstract)
  
  
• Girish, T.S., R.K. McGinty and S. Tan (2016). Multivalent interactions by the Set8 histone methyltransferase with its nucleosome substrate, J. Mol Biol., 428:1531-1543. (abstract)
  
  
• Liokatis, S., R. Klingberg, S. Tan and D. Schwarzer (2016). Differentially isotope-labeled nucleosomes to study asymmetric histone modification crosstalk by time-resolved NMR spectroscopy, Angew. Chem., doi: 10.1002/anie.201601938. (abstract)
  
  
• Jennings, M.J., A.F. Barrios and S. Tan (2016). Elimination of truncated recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli by removing cryptic translation initiation site, Prot. Expr. Purif., 121:17-21. (abstract)
  
  
• McGinty, R.K. and S. Tan (2016) Recognition of the nucleosome by chromatin factors and enzymes, Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., 21:128-136.
  
  
• Kuo, Y.-M., R.A. Ryan, S. Tan, J. Cote and A. Andrews (2015). Site specificity analysis of Piccolo NuA4-mediated acetylation for different histone complexes, Biochem. J., 472:239-248. (abstract)
  
  
• Kim, S., N. Chatterjee, M.J. Jennings, B. Bartholomew, and S. Tan (2015). Extranucleosomal DNA enhances the activity of the LSD1/CoREST histone demetthylase complex. Nucl. Acid Research, 43:4868-4880. (abstract)  (pdf link, 6.1 MB)
  
  
• McGinty, R.K, and S. Tan (2015). Nucleosome structure and function. Chem Reviews, 115:2255-2273.
  
  
• McGinty, R.K, Henrici, R.C. and S. Tan (2014). Crystal structure of the PRC1 ubiquitylation module bound to the nucleosome. Nature, 514:591-596. (abstract)
  
  
• McGinty, R.K. and S. Tan (2014). Histones, Nucleosomes, and Chromatin Structure. In Fundamentals of Chromatin, J.L. Workman and S.M. Abmayr, ed (New York: Springer).
  
  
• Makde, R.D. and S. Tan (2013). Strategies for crystallizing a chromatin protein in complex with the nucleosome core particle. Anal. Biochem., 442:138-145 (abstract).
  
  
• Tan, S. and K. Nagai (2013). Protein-nucleic interactions, 'I have a cunning plan...'. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol., 23:1-3.
  
  
• Huang, J and S. Tan (2013). Piccolo NuA4-Catalyzed Acetylation of Nucleosomal Histones: Critical Roles of an Esa1 Tudor/Chromo Barrel Loop and an Epl1 Enhancer of Polycomb A (EPcA) Basic Region. Mol. Cell. Bio., 33:159-169. (abstract)
  
  
• S. Tan (2012). Deciphering how the chromatin factor RCC1 recognizes the nucleosome: the importance of individuals in the scientific discovery processs. Biochem. Soc. Trans., 40:351-356. (abstract)
  
  
• 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)