Robert J. Duronio

About

Robert J. Duronio is the Cary C. Boshamer Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate DNA replication and cell proliferation during animal development. He studies the cell cycle, which consists of phases G1, S, G2, and M, and how gene expression events control the decision of cells to enter S phase and proliferate or to exit the cycle and differentiate. His work emphasizes the importance of cell cycle regulation in coordinating tissue development and function, as well as its breakdown in the formation of cancer. Duronio's research utilizes the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism because the genes controlling cell proliferation are highly conserved across species, including humans. This allows for the application of genetic and cell biological techniques to study gene function in a whole animal context. His studies aim to elucidate how cell cycle regulatory pathways operate normally and how their malfunction contributes to cancer, with the goal of gaining insights into the molecular basis of deregulated growth in human disease.

Research topics

• Biology
• Genetics
• Cell biology

Selected publications

• CDK-Regulated Phase Separation Seeded by Histone Genes Ensures Precise Growth and Function of Histone Locus Bodies

  Developmental Cell · 2020 · 87 citations

  DOI

• Histone locus bodies: a paradigm for how nuclear biomolecular condensates control cell cycle regulated gene expression

  Nucleus · 2023-12-14 · 34 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Histone locus bodies (HLBs) are biomolecular condensates that assemble at replication-dependent (RD) histone genes in animal cells. These genes produce unique mRNAs that are not polyadenylated and instead end in a conserved 3' stem loop critical for coordinated production of histone proteins during S phase of the cell cycle. Several evolutionarily conserved factors necessary for synthesis of RD histone mRNAs concentrate only in the HLB. Moreover, because HLBs are present throughout the cell cycl…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• <i>Drosophila</i> histone locus body assembly and function involves multiple interactions

  Molecular Biology of the Cell · 2020 · 29 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  promoter. These data suggest that multiple protein-protein and/or protein-DNA interactions contribute to HLB formation, and that the large number of endogenous RD histone gene copies sequester available factor(s) from attenuated transgenic arrays, thereby preventing HLB formation and gene expression on these arrays.

  DOI

• Distinct roles for canonical and variant histone H3 lysine-36 in Polycomb silencing

  Science Advances · 2023-03-01 · 28 citations

  articleOpen access

  Polycomb complexes regulate cell type–specific gene expression programs through heritable silencing of target genes. Trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) is essential for this process. Perturbation of H3K36 is thought to interfere with H3K27me3. We show that mutants of Drosophila replication-dependent ( H3.2 K36R ) or replication-independent ( H3.3 K36R ) histone H3 genes generally maintain Polycomb silencing and reach later stages of development. In contrast, combined ( H3.3 K36R H…

  PublisherDOI

• Heterochromatic 3D genome organization is directed by HP1a- and H3K9-dependent and independent mechanisms

  Molecular Cell · 2024-05-24 · 22 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Regulation of Histone Gene Expression During Drosophila Development

  NSF · $455k · 2004–2008

• Epigenetic Control of the Cell Cycle During Animal Development

  NIH · $1.7M · 2022–2027

• Histone mRNA Regulation in Development

  NIH · $11.9M · 2024–2025

Frequent coauthors

• William F. Marzluff

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  104 shared

• A. Gregory Matera

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  68 shared

• Daniel J. McKay

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  51 shared

• Brian D. Strahl

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  40 shared

• Jeffrey I. Gordon

  Washington University in St. Louis

  30 shared

• Robin L. Armstrong

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  23 shared

• Harmony R. Salzler

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  20 shared

• Pamela Y. Malek

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  20 shared

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry & Biophysics

  UCSF Medical Center

  1996

• PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  Washington University in Saint Louis

  1991

• B.S., Biology

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  1986

Similar researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• John Brunoh-74
• Victoria L. Bautchh-51
• Gregory P. Copenhaverh-49