Gary Felsenfeld, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator, Scientist Emeritus

Special Volunteer: Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Scientific Focus Areas: Cell Biology, Chemical Biology, Chromosome Biology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

gary.felsenfeld@nih.gov 301-496-9222 Add to Contacts

Publications

A selection of recent and significant publications can be viewed below.

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Large parental differences in chromatin organization in pancreatic beta cell line explaining diabetes susceptibility effects.

Jian X, Felsenfeld G.

Nat Commun (2021 Jul 15) 12:4338. Abstract/Full Text

Insulin promoter in human pancreatic β cells contacts diabetes susceptibility loci and regulates genes affecting insulin metabolism.

Jian X, Felsenfeld G.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2018 May 15) 115:E4633-E4641. Abstract/Full Text

Association of the Long Non-coding RNA Steroid Receptor RNA Activator (SRA) with TrxG and PRC2 Complexes.

Wongtrakoongate P, Riddick G, Fucharoen S, Felsenfeld G.

PLoS Genet (2015 Oct) 11:e1005615. Abstract/Full Text

Mapping of long-range INS promoter interactions reveals a role for calcium-activated chloride channel ANO1 in insulin secretion.

Xu Z, Lefevre GM, Gavrilova O, Foster St Claire MB, Riddick G, Felsenfeld G.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2014 Nov 25) 111:16760-5. Abstract/Full Text

Mapping of INS promoter interactions reveals its role in long-range regulation of SYT8 transcription.

Xu Z, Wei G, Chepelev I, Zhao K, Felsenfeld G.

Nat Struct Mol Biol (2011 Mar) 18:372-8. Abstract/Full Text

Additional Publications

Human Argonaute 2 Is Tethered to Ribosomal RNA through MicroRNA Interactions.

Atwood BL, Woolnough JL, Lefevre GM, Saint Just Ribeiro M, Felsenfeld G, Giles KE.

J Biol Chem (2016 Aug 19) 291:17919-28. Abstract/Full Text

CTCF Recruits Centromeric Protein CENP-E to the Pericentromeric/Centromeric Regions of Chromosomes through Unusual CTCF-Binding Sites.

Xiao T, Wongtrakoongate P, Trainor C, Felsenfeld G.

Cell Rep (2015 Sep 8) 12:1704-14. Abstract/Full Text

Induced pluripotency enables differentiation of human nullipotent embryonal carcinoma cells N2102Ep.

Sutiwisesak R, Kitiyanant N, Kotchabhakdi N, Felsenfeld G, Andrews PW, Wongtrakoongate P.

Biochim Biophys Acta (2014 Nov) 1843:2611-9. Abstract/Full Text

A brief history of epigenetics.

Felsenfeld G.

Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol (2014 Jan 1) 6. Abstract/Full Text

The evolution of epigenetics.

Felsenfeld G.

Perspect Biol Med (2014 Winter) 57:132-48. Abstract/Full Text

Physical chemistry of nucleic acids and their complexes.

Ghirlando R, Felsenfeld G.

Biopolymers (2013 Dec) 99:910-5. Abstract/Full Text

Chromatin structure outside and inside the nucleus.

Ghirlando R, Felsenfeld G.

Biopolymers (2013 Apr) 99:225-32. Abstract/Full Text

Order from chaos in the nucleus.

Xu Z, Felsenfeld G.

Mol Cell (2012 Nov 9) 48:327-8. Abstract/Full Text

Chromatin structure, epigenetic mechanisms and long-range interactions in the human insulin locus.

Xu Z, Lefevre GM, Felsenfeld G.

Diabetes Obes Metab (2012 Oct) 14 Suppl 3:1-11. Abstract/Full Text

Chromatin domains, insulators, and the regulation of gene expression.

Ghirlando R, Giles K, Gowher H, Xiao T, Xu Z, Yao H, Felsenfeld G.

Biochim Biophys Acta (2012 Jul) 1819:644-51. Abstract/Full Text

Genome architecture and expression.

Felsenfeld G, Dekker J.

Curr Opin Genet Dev (2012 Apr) 22:59-61. Abstract/Full Text

Chromatin boundaries require functional collaboration between the hSET1 and NURF complexes.

Li X, Wang S, Li Y, Deng C, Steiner LA, Xiao H, Wu C, Bungert J, Gallagher PG, Felsenfeld G, Qiu Y, Huang S.

Blood (2011 Aug 4) 118:1386-94. Abstract/Full Text

Specific sites in the C terminus of CTCF interact with the SA2 subunit of the cohesin complex and are required for cohesin-dependent insulation activity.

Xiao T, Wallace J, Felsenfeld G.

Mol Cell Biol (2011 Jun) 31:2174-83. Abstract/Full Text

High resolution analysis of the chromatin landscape of the IgE switch region in human B cells.

Dayal S, Nedbal J, Hobson P, Cooper AM, Gould HJ, Gellert M, Felsenfeld G, Fear DJ.

PLoS One (2011) 6:e24571. Abstract/Full Text

Mediation of CTCF transcriptional insulation by DEAD-box RNA-binding protein p68 and steroid receptor RNA activator SRA.

Yao H, Brick K, Evrard Y, Xiao T, Camerini-Otero RD, Felsenfeld G.

Genes Dev (2010 Nov 15) 24:2543-55. Abstract/Full Text

H4R3 methylation facilitates beta-globin transcription by regulating histone acetyltransferase binding and H3 acetylation.

Li X, Hu X, Patel B, Zhou Z, Liang S, Ybarra R, Qiu Y, Felsenfeld G, Bungert J, Huang S.

Blood (2010 Mar 11) 115:2028-37. Abstract/Full Text

Epigenetic control of the variable expression of a Plasmodium falciparum receptor protein for erythrocyte invasion.

Jiang L, López-Barragán MJ, Jiang H, Mu J, Gaur D, Zhao K, Felsenfeld G, Miller LH.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2010 Feb 2) 107:2224-9. Abstract/Full Text

Maintenance of a constitutive heterochromatin domain in vertebrates by a Dicer-dependent mechanism.

Giles KE, Ghirlando R, Felsenfeld G.

Nat Cell Biol (2010 Jan) 12:94-9; sup pp 1-6. Abstract/Full Text

VEZF1 elements mediate protection from DNA methylation.

Dickson J, Gowher H, Strogantsev R, Gaszner M, Hair A, Felsenfeld G, West AG.

PLoS Genet (2010 Jan) 6:e1000804. Abstract/Full Text

Chromatin boundaries, insulators, and long-range interactions in the nucleus.

Giles KE, Gowher H, Ghirlando R, Jin C, Felsenfeld G.

Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol (2010) 75:79-85. Abstract/Full Text

The human insulin gene is part of a large open chromatin domain specific for human islets.

Mutskov V, Felsenfeld G.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2009 Oct 13) 106:17419-24. Abstract/Full Text

H3.3/H2A.Z double variant-containing nucleosomes mark 'nucleosome-free regions' of active promoters and other regulatory regions.

Jin C, Zang C, Wei G, Cui K, Peng W, Zhao K, Felsenfeld G.

Nat Genet (2009 Aug) 41:941-5. Abstract/Full Text

Vezf1 regulates genomic DNA methylation through its effects on expression of DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3b.

Gowher H, Stuhlmann H, Felsenfeld G.

Genes Dev (2008 Aug 1) 22:2075-84. Abstract/Full Text

Hydrodynamic studies on defined heterochromatin fragments support a 30-nm fiber having six nucleosomes per turn.

Ghirlando R, Felsenfeld G.

J Mol Biol (2008 Mar 7) 376:1417-25. Abstract/Full Text

The human insulin gene displays transcriptionally active epigenetic marks in islet-derived mesenchymal precursor cells in the absence of insulin expression.

Mutskov V, Raaka BM, Felsenfeld G, Gershengorn MC.

Stem Cells (2007 Dec) 25:3223-33. Abstract/Full Text

Critical DNA binding interactions of the insulator protein CTCF: a small number of zinc fingers mediate strong binding, and a single finger-DNA interaction controls binding at imprinted loci.

Renda M, Baglivo I, Burgess-Beusse B, Esposito S, Fattorusso R, Felsenfeld G, Pedone PV.

J Biol Chem (2007 Nov 16) 282:33336-33345. Abstract/Full Text

USF1 recruits histone modification complexes and is critical for maintenance of a chromatin barrier.

Huang S, Li X, Yusufzai TM, Qiu Y, Felsenfeld G.

Mol Cell Biol (2007 Nov) 27:7991-8002. Abstract/Full Text

We gather together: insulators and genome organization.

Wallace JA, Felsenfeld G.

Curr Opin Genet Dev (2007 Oct) 17:400-7. Abstract/Full Text

Nucleosome stability mediated by histone variants H3.3 and H2A.Z.

Jin C, Felsenfeld G.

Genes Dev (2007 Jun 15) 21:1519-29. Abstract/Full Text

Extended core sequences from the cHS4 insulator are necessary for protecting retroviral vectors from silencing position effects.

Aker M, Tubb J, Groth AC, Bukovsky AA, Bell AC, Felsenfeld G, Kiem HP, Stamatoyannopoulos G, Emery DW.

Hum Gene Ther (2007 Apr) 18:333-43. Abstract/Full Text

Insulators: exploiting transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms.

Gaszner M, Felsenfeld G.

Nat Rev Genet (2006 Sep) 7:703-13. Abstract/Full Text

Distribution of histone H3.3 in hematopoietic cell lineages.

Jin C, Felsenfeld G.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2006 Jan 17) 103:574-9. Abstract/Full Text

Methylation of histone H4 by arginine methyltransferase PRMT1 is essential in vivo for many subsequent histone modifications.

Huang S, Litt M, Felsenfeld G.

Genes Dev (2005 Aug 15) 19:1885-93. Abstract/Full Text

Recruitment of histone modifications by USF proteins at a vertebrate barrier element.

West AG, Huang S, Gaszner M, Litt MD, Felsenfeld G.

Mol Cell (2004 Nov 5) 16:453-63. Abstract/Full Text

Transcription of Ig germline genes in single human B cells and the role of cytokines in isotype determination.

Fear DJ, McCloskey N, O'Connor B, Felsenfeld G, Gould HJ.

J Immunol (2004 Oct 1) 173:4529-38. Abstract/Full Text

Antagonism between DNA hypermethylation and enhancer-blocking activity at the H19 DMD is uncovered by CpG mutations.

Engel N, West AG, Felsenfeld G, Bartolomei MS.

Nat Genet (2004 Aug) 36:883-8. Abstract/Full Text

Both CTCF-dependent and -independent insulators are found between the mouse T cell receptor alpha and Dad1 genes.

Magdinier F, Yusufzai TM, Felsenfeld G.

J Biol Chem (2004 Jun 11) 279:25381-9. Abstract/Full Text

The 5'-HS4 chicken beta-globin insulator is a CTCF-dependent nuclear matrix-associated element.

Yusufzai TM, Felsenfeld G.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2004 Jun 8) 101:8620-4. Abstract/Full Text

Obituary. Robert Simpson.

Felsenfeld G.

Nucleic Acids Res (2004) 32:2975-6. Abstract/Full Text

Chromatin remodeling by RNA polymerases.

Studitsky VM, Walter W, Kireeva M, Kashlev M, Felsenfeld G.

Trends Biochem Sci (2004 Mar) 29:127-35. Abstract/Full Text

Physical properties of a genomic condensed chromatin fragment.

Ghirlando R, Litt MD, Prioleau MN, Recillas-Targa F, Felsenfeld G.

J Mol Biol (2004 Feb 20) 336:597-605. Abstract/Full Text

CTCF tethers an insulator to subnuclear sites, suggesting shared insulator mechanisms across species.

Yusufzai TM, Tagami H, Nakatani Y, Felsenfeld G.

Mol Cell (2004 Jan 30) 13:291-8. Abstract/Full Text

Silencing of transgene transcription precedes methylation of promoter DNA and histone H3 lysine 9.

Mutskov V, Felsenfeld G.

EMBO J (2004 Jan 14) 23:138-49. Abstract/Full Text

Chromatin boundaries and chromatin domains.

Felsenfeld G, Burgess-Beusse B, Farrell C, Gaszner M, Ghirlando R, Huang S, Jin C, Litt M, Magdinier F, Mutskov V, Nakatani Y, Tagami H, West A, Yusufzai T.

Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol (2004) 69:245-50. Abstract/Full Text