Pierre Chymkowitch

Image of Pierre Chymkowitch
Norwegian version of this page
Email pierre.chymkowitch@ibv.uio.no
Room 2303B
Username
Visiting address Blindernveien 31 None 0371 OSLO
Postal address Postboks 1066 Blindern 0316 OSLO

Academic interest

Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of cell fate and identity

Dynamic remodeling of the SUMO-chromatin landscape during cellular differentiation

     The study of molecular mechanisms that govern cellular differentiation and fate is key to the understanding of development, metabolism but also to the understanding of carcinogenesis. This research axis seeks to address the role of sumoylation-mediated gene control during cellular differentiation with a primary focus on adipose stem cells. Indeed, the global rise of the obesity epidemic and associated diseases such as diabetes and cancer has rendered indispensable the study of adipose tissue formation and biology. We use state of the art high-throughput methods (ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, MS, Confocal microscopy, etc.) and classical biochemistry to identify the dynamics of chromatin-bound factors’ sumoylation during adipocyte differentiation in human adipose stem cells, mouse 3T3L1 cells and mouse models.

Control of mitotic chromatin architecture and mitotic transcription

     The iconic X shape of condensed mitotic chromosomes has been described in the 19th century, but we still know little about the structural organization of mitotic chromatin and its consequences on chromatin functions such as transcription. In this project we investigate the mechanisms that establish and maintain mitotic transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mitotic poisons are used in the clinic against many cancers. However, they trigger deleterious side effects and their mechanisms of action remain often unclear. There is therefore a need for a better understanding of mitotic events including mitotic gene expression. To address mitotic transcription we use high-throughput methods such as nascent RNA-seq, ChIP-seq or Hi-C and classical biochemistry.

Differentiated white adipocytes - Green: Lipid droplets; Red: Mitochondria; Blue: Nuclei.

Higher education and employment

2020-now

Associate Professor - Dept. of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

2018-now

Group leader - Dept. of Microbiology, Oslo Univ. Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

2015-2019

Co-founder, member of the board of directors & CSO - Hemispherian AS, Oslo, Norway.

2013-2017

Senior scientist - Dept. of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo Univ. Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 

2009-2012

Post-doctoral researcher - Dept. of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital 

& Center for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience (CMBN), Oslo, Norway.

2005-2008

PhD student - University of Strasbourg & IGBMC, Illkirch, France. 

Publications

  • Nguéa P, Aurélie; Robertson, Joseph; Herrera, Maria Carmen; Chymkowitch, Pierre & Enserink, Jorrit (2019). Desumoylation of RNA polymerase III lies at the core of the Sumo stress response in yeast. Journal of Biological Chemistry.  ISSN 0021-9258.  294(49), s 18784- 18795 . doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.009721 Full text in Research Archive.
  • Chymkowitch, Pierre & Enserink, Jorrit (2018). Regulation of tRNA synthesis by posttranslational modifications of RNA polymerase III subunits.. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. Gene Regulatory Mechanisms.  ISSN 1874-9399.  1861(4), s 310- 319 . doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2017.11.001 Show summary
  • Herrera, Maria Carmen; Chymkowitch, Pierre; Robertson, Joseph; Eriksson, Jens; Bøe, Stig Ove; Alseth, Ingrun & Enserink, Jorrit (2018). Cdk1 gates cell cycle-dependent tRNA synthesis by regulating RNA polymerase III activity. Nucleic Acids Research.  ISSN 0305-1048.  46(22), s 11698- 11711 . doi: 10.1093/nar/gky846 Full text in Research Archive.
  • Kruitwagen, Tom; Chymkowitch, Pierre; Denoth-Lippuner, Annina; Enserink, Jorrit & Barral, Yves (2018). Centromeres License the Mitotic Condensation of Yeast Chromosome Arms. Cell.  ISSN 0092-8674.  175(3), s 780- 795.e15 . doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.09.012 Full text in Research Archive.
  • Chymkowitch, Pierre; Nguéa P, Aurélie; Aanes, Håvard; Robertson, Joseph; Klungland, Arne & Enserink, Jorrit (2017). TORC1-dependent sumoylation of Rpc82 promotes RNA polymerase III assembly and activity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.  ISSN 0027-8424.  114(5), s 1039- 1044 . doi: 10.1073/pnas.1615093114
  • Zimmermann, Christine; Garcia Llorente, Ignacio; Omerzu, Manja; Chymkowitch, Pierre; Zhang, Beibei & Enserink, Jorrit (2017). Mapping the synthetic dosage lethality network of CDK1/CDC28. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics.  ISSN 2160-1836.  7(6), s 1753- 1766 . doi: 10.1534/g3.117.042317 Full text in Research Archive.
  • Chymkowitch, Pierre; Nguéa P, Aurélie; Aanes, Håvard; Koehler, Christian; Thiede, Bernd; Lorenz, Susanne; Meza, Leonardo Zepeda; Klungland, Arne & Enserink, Jorrit (2015). Sumoylation of Rap1 mediates the recruitment of TFIID to promote transcription of ribosomal protein genes. Genome Research.  ISSN 1088-9051.  25(6), s 897- 906 . doi: 10.1101/gr.185793.114
  • Chymkowitch, Pierre; Nguéa P, Aurélie & Enserink, Jorrit (2015). SUMO-regulated transcription: Challenging the dogma. Bioessays.  ISSN 0265-9247.  37(10), s 1095- 1105 . doi: 10.1002/bies.201500065
  • Chymkowitch, Pierre & Enserink, Jorrit (2013). The cell cycle rallies the transcription cycle: Cdc28/Cdk1 is a cell cycle-regulated transcriptional CDK. Transcription.  ISSN 2154-1264.  4(1), s 3- 6 . doi: 10.4161/trns.22456
  • Zimmermann, Christine; Santos, Aline; Gable, Kenneth; Epstein, Sharon; Gururaj, Charulatha; Chymkowitch, Pierre; Pultz, Dennis; Rødkær, Steven V.; Clay, Lorena; Bjørås, Magnar; Barral, Yves; Chang, Amy; Færgeman, Nils J.; Dunn, Teresa M.; Riezman, Howard & Enserink, Jorrit (2013). TORC1 Inhibits GSK3-Mediated Elo2 Phosphorylation to Regulate Very Long Chain Fatty Acid Synthesis and Autophagy. Cell reports.  ISSN 2211-1247.  5(4), s 1036- 1046 . doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.10.024
  • Chymkowitch, Pierre; Eldholm, Vegard; Lorenz, Susanne; Zimmermann, Christine; Lindvall, Jessica M.; Bjørås, Magnar; Meza-Zepeda, Leonardo Andrés & Enserink, Jorrit (2012). Cdc28 kinase activity regulates the basal transcription machinery at a subset of genes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.  ISSN 0027-8424.  109(26), s 10450- 10455 . doi: 10.1073/pnas.1200067109
  • Zimmermann, Christine; Chymkowitch, Pierre; Eldholm, Vegard; Putnam, Christopher D.; Lindvall, Jessica Margareta; Omerzu, Manja; Bjørås, Magnar; Kolodner, Richard D. & Enserink, Jorrit (2011). A chemical-genetic screen to unravel the genetic network of CDC28/CDK1 links ubiquitin and Rad6-Bre1 to cell cycle progression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.  ISSN 0027-8424.  108(46), s 18748- 18753 . doi: 10.1073/pnas.1115885108

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  • Zimmermann, Christine; Chymkowitch, Pierre; Eldholm, Vegard; Putnam, Christopher D.; Lindvall, Jessica M.; Omerzu, Manja; Bjørås, Magnar; Kolodner, Richard D. & Enserink, Jorrit (2012). A chemical-genetic screen to unravel the genetic network of CDC28/CDK1 links ubiquitin and Rad6-Bre1 to cell cycle progression. The FASEB Journal.  ISSN 0892-6638.  26

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Published July 9, 2020 1:50 PM - Last modified Sep. 14, 2020 12:10 PM

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