Karen Arndt

Karen Arndt is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on transcriptional regulation mechanisms in eukaryotes, particularly the interplay between transcription elongation factors, chromatin structure, and epigenetics. She leads the Arndt Lab, which uses Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study the Paf1 complex and other regulators of transcription elongation, histone modifications, and chromatin remodeling. Key projects include understanding the roles of the Paf1 complex in RNA 3’-end formation, histone ubiquitylation, and interactions with factors like Chd1.

Her work elucidates how these processes contribute to gene expression control, with implications for cancer and other diseases. The lab employs genetic, genomic, and biochemical tools, collaborating with the Hainer lab to study chromatin dynamics in yeast and mammalian systems. The Arndt Lab’s research has identified critical connections between transcription elongation factors and chromatin modifiers, such as the interaction between Rtf1 (a Paf1 subunit) and Rad6 in histone modification pathways.

Publications highlight her contributions to understanding the Paf1 complex’s multifunctional roles, Spt5/Spt6 interactions, and the impact of nucleosome positioning on transcription termination. The lab’s findings provide insights into how defects in these pathways lead to dysregulated gene expression and disease states. Advising and training of graduate students and postdocs are integral to her academic role, fostering the next generation of molecular biologists.