Karl Ekwall
Professor | Docent
E-mail: karl.ekwall@ki.se
Telephone: +46852481039
Visiting address: Blickagången 16, 14151 Flemingsberg
Postal address: H7 Medicin, Huddinge, H7 Bionut Ekwall, 171 77 Stockholm
About me
- Karl Ekwall is an expert on genetics, chromatin and epigenomic analyses, using primarily fission yeast (S. pombe) as a model organism. During his PhD at Uppsala university he performed pioneering genetic screens for position-effect variegation in S. pombe. As a post-doc in R. Allshire’s group at MRC Human Genetics (Edinburgh) he identified the Swi6 (HP1) protein as the first centromeric chromatin protein to be described in fission yeast (Ekwall et al Science, 1995). He also demonstrated that the control of epigenetic states at centromeres was governed by histone acetylation (Ekwall et al Cell, 1997).
After starting his own laboratory at Karolinska Institute in 1999 Ekwall has made important contributions towards understanding the role of RNAi in heterochromatin assembly (PNAS, 2002 - Genes &
- Dev, 2005). In fact, the ensemble of research on epigenetic regulation of centromeric heterochromatin has provided a universal paradigm for unraveling the chromosomal regulatory machinery that operates at the chromatin level to control gene expression (Ann. Rev. Genetics, 2007). Thus, Ekwall has since then taken a holistic approach towards understanding epigenetic regulation, unraveling mechanisms at work both in centromere and gene regulation. One such mechanism is histone deacetylation by HDAC enzymes. Ekwall developed a robust epigenomic methodology for S. pombe after a sabbatical in M. Grunstein’s laboratory at UCLA and used this for systematic study of the specificity and functions of HDACs (EMBO J 2005
- EMBO J 2007). His team has determined the mechanistic in vivo and in vitro functions for Chd1 in nucleosome disassembly and spacing (EMBO J 2007
- 2012). Chd1 is a key chromatin remodeler, recently implicated in mouse stem cell maintenance and control of pluripotency. The Ekwall group provided evidence for DNA topoisomerases and histone ubiquitination in chromatin regulation (EMBO J 2010
- PloS Genetics 2013
- Nature Struct Mol Biol 2010, 2014). Ekwall also developed clinical aspects of his research. He founded the Swedish Epigenetics network (2007) bridging basic and clinical research in epigenetics in Sweden. Ekwall’s group has investigated epigenetic control of human blood cell differentiation (Blood 2014
- Nature 2014) and epigenetic changes in leukemia in collaboration with clinical research groups at KI (Blood 2010, 2014
- Leukemia 2013).
Research
- My group is carrying out both basic research in epigenetics and applied research in cancer epigenetics. We are studying yeast cells (S. pombe) and human cell lines for the basic research and we are using human blood cells as a model to study cell differentiation and cancer. Our current research is focused on characterizing the function of chromatin remodeling factors and histone modifications during cellular quiescence.
Articles
- Journal article: EPIGENOMES. 2024;8(4):39
- Article: BIOMOLECULES. 2023;13(11):1662
- Article: CHROMOSOME RESEARCH. 2023;31(2):14
- Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2021;12(1):4800
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. 2021;22(4):1793
- Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. 2020;21(23):E9022-9022
- Article: BLOOD. 2020;136(3):339-352
- Article: CLINICAL EPIGENETICS. 2020;12(1):74
- Article: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 2020;10(1):6055
- Article: ELIFE. 2020;9:e50556
- Article: HUMAN GENOMICS. 2019;13(1):54
- Article: EMBO REPORTS. 2019;20(10):e48111
- Article: LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE. 2019;2(5):e201900433
- Article: GENETICS. 2019;213(1):161-172
- Article: EPIGENETICS AND CHROMATIN. 2019;12(1):45
- Article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 2019;47(4):1671-1691
- Article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 2018;46(22):e135
- Article: CURRENT BIOLOGY. 2018;28(3):383-391.e3
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2018;13(8):e0201101
- Article: SCIENTIFIC DATA. 2017;4:170112
- Article: COLD SPRING HARBOR PROTOCOLS. 2017;2017(8):pdb.top079772
- Article: COLD SPRING HARBOR PROTOCOLS. 2017;2017(8):pdb.prot091736
- Article: COLD SPRING HARBOR PROTOCOLS. 2017;2017(8):pdb.prot091728
- Article: COLD SPRING HARBOR PROTOCOLS. 2017;2017(7):pdb.prot091710
- Article: COLD SPRING HARBOR PROTOCOLS. 2017;2017(7):pdb.prot091702
- Article: COLD SPRING HARBOR PROTOCOLS. 2017;2017(7):pdb.prot091694
- Article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 2017;45(9):5153-5169
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2017;36(10):1364-1378
- Article: BLOOD. 2017;129(7):e13-e25
- Article: EMBO REPORTS. 2016;17(5):753-768
- Article: ONCOTARGET. 2016;7(16):22103-22115
- Article: EMBO REPORTS. 2015;16(12):1673-1687
- Article: PLOS BIOLOGY. 2015;13(12):e1002315
- Article: COLD SPRING HARBOR PERSPECTIVES IN BIOLOGY. 2015;7(7):a018770
- Article: GENOME RESEARCH. 2015;25(6):872-883
- Article: PLOS GENETICS. 2015;11(3):e1005101
- Article: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2015;35(4):662-674
- Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2015;6:6066
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2015;10(3):e0117581
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2015;10(2):e0116702
- Article: EPIGENETICS AND CHROMATIN. 2015;8(1):4
- Article: BLOOD. 2014;123(17):e79-e89
- Article: BLOOD. 2014;123(17):e46-e57
- Article: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2014;111(14):5289-5294
- Article: NATURE. 2014;507(7493):462-470
- Article: NATURE. 2014;507(7493):455-461
- Article: NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 2014;21(3):236-243
- Article: BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS. 2014;444(2):254-259
- Article: BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS. 2013;41(6):1640-1647
- Journal article: PLOS ONE. 2013;8(10):10.1371/annotation/c6430cCorrection: Telomeric Repeats Facilitate CENP-ACnp1 Incorporation via Telomere Binding Proteins
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2013;8(7):e69673
- Article: PLOS GENETICS. 2013;9(3):e1003371
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2012;31(23):4388-4403
- Article: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2012;32(19):4035-4043
- Article: PLOS GENETICS. 2012;8(9):e1002985
- Article: NUCLEUS. 2012;3(1):77-87
- Article: BLOOD. 2011;118(20):5573-5582
- Article: PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY. 2011;7(8):e1002163
- Article: JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 2011;286(26):23600-23607
- Article: SCIENCE. 2011;332(6032):930-936
- Article: TRANSCRIPTION. 2011;2(2):66-70
- Article: PLOS GENETICS. 2011;7(3):e1001334
- Article: JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 2011;405(3):653-665
- Journal article: BLOOD. 2010;116(21):231
- Article: JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 2010;285(39):29729-29737
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2010;29(13):2126-2134
- Article: EPIGENOMICS. 2010;2(3):377-393
- Article: NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 2010;17(2):251-257
- Article: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2010;30(3):657-674
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2009;28(24):3832-3844
- Article: PLOS GENETICS. 2009;5(11):e1000726
- Article: EMBO REPORTS. 2009;10(9):1009-1014
- Article: METHODS. 2009;48(3):218-225
- Article: METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 2009;529:279-295
- Article: SCIENCE. 2008;322(5901):602-606
- Article: BIOESSAYS. 2008;30(6):526-529
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2008;27(1):111-121
- Article: MOLECULAR CELL. 2007;28(6):1029-1044
- Article: CURRENT BIOLOGY. 2007;17(14):1219-1224
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2007;26(12):2868-2879
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2007;26(10):2477-2488
- Article: PLOS ONE. 2007;2(4):e386
- Article: GENETICS. 2007;175(4):1549-1560
- Article: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2007;27(3):1069-1082
- Article: MOLECULAR CELL. 2006;22(2):169-178
- Article: CHROMOSOME RESEARCH. 2006;14(1):95-105
- Article: GENES & DEVELOPMENT. 2005;19(19):2301-2306
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2005;24(16):2906-2918
- Journal article: NATURE. 2005;435(7046):1275-1279
- Article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 2005;33(9):2868-2879
- Article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 2004;32(15):4421-4428
- Article: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL. 2004;15(3):1425-1435
- Article: YEAST. 2004;21(1):25-39
- Article: CHROMOSOME RESEARCH. 2004;12(6):535-542
- Article: JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE. 2003;116(19):4035-4042
- Article: CURRENT GENETICS. 2003;43(4):273-280
- Article: EMBO JOURNAL. 2003;22(11):2776-2787
- Article: CELL CYCLE. 2003;2(2):73-75
- Article: CURRENT BIOLOGY. 2003;13(1):68-72
- Article: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2002;99(26):16648-16653
- Article: BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS. 2002;295(4):970-974
- Article: JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY. 2002;157(6):1029-1039
- Article: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2002;22(7):2170-2181
- Article: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL. 2001;12(9):2767-2775
- Article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 2000;28(9):2004-2011
- Article: GENETICS. 1999;153(3):1153-1169
- Article: CURRENT GENETICS. 1999;35(2):82-87
- Article: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 1999;19(3):2351-2365
- Article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 1998;26(13):3247-3254
- Article: CELL. 1997;91(7):1021-1032
- Article: JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE. 1996;109:2637-2648
- Article: SCIENCE. 1995;269(5229):1429-1431
- Article: GENES & DEVELOPMENT. 1995;9(2):218-233
- Journal article: CURRENT GENETICS. 1994;26(5-6):553-556
- Journal article: GENETICS. 1994;136(1):53-64
- Journal article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 1993;21(4):855-861
- Journal article: MOLECULAR GENETICS AND GENOMICS. 1992;233(1-2):136-144
- Journal article: CURRENT GENETICS. 1992;21(4-5):331-338
- Journal article: YEAST. 1991;7(7):745-755
- Journal article: NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH (NAR). 1991;19(5):1150
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All other publications
- Preprint: BIORXIV. 2024
- Letter: LEUKEMIA. 2024;38(3):663-666
- Corrigendum: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2021;41(7):e0017921-e00121
- Conference publication: HAEMATOLOGICA. 2016;101:70
- Conference publication: HAEMATOLOGICA. 2016;101:209-210
- Conference publication: BLOOD. 2015;126(23):2839
- Meeting abstract: LEUKEMIA RESEARCH. 2015;39:s69
- Review: BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL. 2015;2015:347571-17
- Conference publication: BLOOD. 2014;124(21):4613
- Review: JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE. 2014;276(3):201-214
- Letter: LEUKEMIA. 2014;28(2):411-413
- Editorial comment: EPIGENOMICS. 2014;6(5):451-454
- Review: NUCLEUS. 2013;4(5):379-389
- Corrigendum: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2012;32(24):5151
- Meeting abstract: BLOOD. 2012;120(21):2334
- Book chapter: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE. 2011;p.
- Editorial comment: EMBO JOURNAL. 2011;30(10):1875-1876
- Review: EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH. 2010;316(8):1316-1323
- Conference publication: BLOOD. 2010;116(21):107
- Review: BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS. 2009;1790(9):863-868
- Review: CELL RESEARCH. 2009;19(3):282-295
- Editorial comment: SCIENCE. 2008;320(5876):624-625
- Review: ANNUAL REVIEW OF GENETICS. 2007;41:63-81
- Editorial comment: NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 2007;14(3):178-179
- Review: TRENDS IN GENETICS. 2005;21(11):608-615
- Corrigendum: NATURE. 2005;437(7061):1057
- Review: CURRENT GENETICS. 2005;47(1):1-17
- Editorial comment: MOLECULAR CELL. 2004;13(3):304-305
- Corrigendum: JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE. 2004;117(1):129
- Conference publication: YEAST. 2003;20:S118
- Conference publication: YEAST. 2003;20:S333
- Conference publication: YEAST. 2003;20:S235
- Corrigendum: MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY. 2002;22(14):5257-5258
- Published conference paper: BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH. 2002;35(5):499-507
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Grants
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2019 - 31 December 2021
- Epigenetics, chromatin transformation and cancerSwedish Cancer Society1 January 2018
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2017 - 31 December 2018
- Chromatin transformation enzymes, cell differentiation and new strategies for epigenetic cancer treatmentSwedish Cancer Society1 January 2017
- Chromatin transformation enzymes, cell differentiation and new strategies for epigenetic cancer treatmentSwedish Cancer Society1 January 2016
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2015 - 31 December 2018
- Chromatin transformation enzymes, cell differentiation and new strategies for epigenetic cancer treatmentSwedish Cancer Society1 January 2015
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2014 - 31 December 2016
- 'SNF2' chromatin transformation enzymes and cell differentiationSwedish Cancer Society1 January 2014
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2011 - 31 December 2014
- Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation1 January 2011 - 1 January 2016
Employments
- Professor, Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-
Degrees and Education
- Professor-competent in Molecular Biology, Södertörn University, 2007
- Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 1999
- Doctor of Philosophy (Molecular Biology), Uppsala University, 1994
- Bachelor of Microbiology, Microbiology, Uppsala University, 1988
Distinction and awards
- The Göran Gustafsson Prize in Molecular Biology, Göran Gustafsson Foundation, 2009
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) Research Fellow, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 2007
- Associate Professor, Södertörn University, 2000
- Appointed as Assistant Professor (Swedish Medical Research Council position ‘MFR’), Karolinska Institute, 1997