Abstract 1502 Roles for histone H3 ubiquitination in the regulation and therapeutic targeting of DNA methylation in cancer

The faithful mitotic inheritance of DNA methylation patterns is essential for mammalian development and the regulation of gene expression states that establish and maintain cell identity. Abnormal DNA methylation patterning is an epigenetic hallmark of human cancers. My lab is focused on addressing three key questions in this area: 1) How, when, and where are DNA methylation regulators recruited within the genome to carry out their enzymatic functions? 2) What mechanisms contribute to the development and maintenance of abnormal DNA methylation patterns in cancer cells? 3) How do these alterations interact with other cancer-associated molecular changes? Our previous and ongoing work has illuminated the role of UHRF1, a RING E3 ubiquitin ligase, in the maintenance of DNA methylation.