Bassem Al-Sady, PhD

Title(s)Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
SchoolSchool of Medicine
Address513 Parnassus Ave, HSW, #1532
San Francisco CA 94143
Phone415-502-8655
ORCID ORCID Icon0000-0002-8996-7941 Additional info
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    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse Education and Training
    Oxford University, Oxford, United KingdomMaster of Biochemistry2000Biochemistry
    University of California Berkeley, BerkeleyPh.D.2006Plant and Microbial Biology
    University of California, San Francisco 09/2020Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training
    Collapse Awards and Honors
    National Institutes of Health2016  - 2021New Innovator Award (DP2)

    Collapse Overview 

    Collapse Research 
    Collapse Research Activities and Funding
    Tracking how molecular machines propagate epigenetic information in time and space
    NIH R35GM141888Sep 1, 2021 - Aug 31, 2026
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Probing heterochromatin growth and memory dynamics in live single cells
    National Science Foundation (NSF) 2113319Jun 15, 2021 - May 31, 2025
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Description: The goals of this project are to discern 1. the mechanisms that encode the memory of gene repression and 2. the intra-cell cycle dynamical modes of repressive chromatin assembly, using mathematical modeling and microfluidics-based single-cell measurements.
    Reconstructing dynamic epigenetic genome partitioning in single stem cells
    NIH DP2GM123484Sep 30, 2016 - May 31, 2021
    Role: Principal Investigator

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse Publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
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    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. A systematic quantitative approach comprehensively defines domain-specific functional pathways linked to Schizosaccharomyces pombe heterochromatin regulation. Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Nov 20. Muhammad A, Sarkadi Z, Mazumder A, Ait Saada A, van Emden T, Capella M, Fekete G, Suma Sreechakram VN, Al-Sady B, Lambert SAE, Papp B, Barrales RR, Braun S. PMID: 39565189.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    2. Phosphorylation of HP1/Swi6 relieves competition with Suv39/Clr4 on nucleosomes and enables H3K9 trimethyl spreading. bioRxiv. 2024 Oct 30. Kennedy DR, Lemiere J, Tan C, Simental E, Braxton J, Maxwell RA, Amine AA, Al-Sady B. PMID: 39554105; PMCID: PMC11565791.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    3. The nuclear periphery confers repression on H3K9me2-marked genes and transposons to shape cell fate. bioRxiv. 2024 Jul 11. Marin H, Simental E, Allen C, Martin E, Panning B, Al-Sady B, Buchwalter A. PMID: 39026839; PMCID: PMC11257442.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    4. A systematic quantitative approach comprehensively defines domain-specific functional pathways linked to Schizosaccharomyces pombe heterochromatin regulation. bioRxiv. 2024 Feb 15. Muhammad A, Sarkadi Z, van Emden T, Mazumder A, Capella M, Fekete G, Sreechakram VNS, Al-Sady B, Papp B, Barrales RR, Braun S. PMID: 38405799; PMCID: PMC10888830.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    5. Regulation of the heterochromatin spreading reaction by trans-acting factors. Open Biol. 2023 Nov; 13(11):230271. Hamali B, Amine AAA, Al-Sady B. PMID: 37935357; PMCID: PMC10645111.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:Cells
    6. A dual, catalytic role for the fission yeast Ccr4-Not complex in gene silencing and heterochromatin spreading. Genetics. 2023 08 09; 224(4). Challal D, Menant A, Goksal C, Leroy E, Al-Sady B, Rougemaille M. PMID: 37279920; PMCID: PMC10411572.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    7. Proteome effects of genome-wide single gene perturbations. Nat Commun. 2022 10 18; 13(1):6153. Öztürk M, Freiwald A, Cartano J, Schmitt R, Dejung M, Luck K, Al-Sady B, Braun S, Levin M, Butter F. PMID: 36257942; PMCID: PMC9579165.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    8. Local chromatin context regulates the genetic requirements of the heterochromatin spreading reaction. PLoS Genet. 2022 05; 18(5):e1010201. Greenstein RA, Ng H, Barrales RR, Tan C, Braun S, Al-Sady B. PMID: 35584134; PMCID: PMC9154106.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 9     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    9. The histone chaperone FACT facilitates heterochromatin spreading by regulating histone turnover and H3K9 methylation states. Cell Rep. 2021 11 02; 37(5):109944. Murawska M, Greenstein RA, Schauer T, Olsen KCF, Ng H, Ladurner AG, Al-Sady B, Braun S. PMID: 34731638; PMCID: PMC8608617.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 14     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    10. Heterodimerization of H3K9 histone methyltransferases G9a and GLP activates methyl reading and writing capabilities. J Biol Chem. 2021 11; 297(5):101276. Sanchez NA, Kallweit LM, Trnka MJ, Clemmer CL, Al-Sady B. PMID: 34619147; PMCID: PMC8564726.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 11     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    11. Set1/COMPASS repels heterochromatin invasion at euchromatic sites by disrupting Suv39/Clr4 activity and nucleosome stability. Genes Dev. 2020 01 01; 34(1-2):99-117. Greenstein RA, Barrales RR, Sanchez NA, Bisanz JE, Braun S, Al-Sady B. PMID: 31805521; PMCID: PMC6938669.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 7     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    12. Epigenetic fates of gene silencing established by heterochromatin spreading in cell identity and genome stability. Curr Genet. 2019 Apr; 65(2):423-428. Greenstein RA, Al-Sady B. PMID: 30390097; PMCID: PMC6452905.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    13. Noncoding RNA-nucleated heterochromatin spreading is intrinsically labile and requires accessory elements for epigenetic stability. Elife. 2018 07 18; 7. Greenstein RA, Jones SK, Spivey EC, Rybarski JR, Finkelstein IJ, Al-Sady B. PMID: 30020075; PMCID: PMC6070336.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 22     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    14. Chromatin Curtains: A Single-Molecule Method for Visualizing Histone Marks on Chromatin Substrates In Vitro. Biophysical Journal. 2018 Feb 1; 114(3):254a. Jensen JL, Al-Sady AB, Redding RS. .
      View in: Publisher Site   Mentions:
    15. Sensitive and Quantitative Three-Color Protein Imaging in Fission Yeast Using Spectrally Diverse, Recoded Fluorescent Proteins with Experimentally-Characterized In Vivo Maturation Kinetics. PLoS One. 2016; 11(8):e0159292. Al-Sady B, Greenstein RA, El-Samad HJ, Braun S, Madhani HD. PMID: 27479698; PMCID: PMC4968791.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 9     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    16. Molecular convergence of clock and photosensory pathways through PIF3-TOC1 interaction and co-occupancy of target promoters. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Apr 26; 113(17):4870-5. Soy J, Leivar P, González-Schain N, Martín G, Diaz C, Sentandreu M, Al-Sady B, Quail PH, Monte E. PMID: 27071129; PMCID: PMC4855547.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 69     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    17. Intrinsic Toxicity of Unchecked Heterochromatin Spread Is Suppressed by Redundant Chromatin Boundary Functions in Schizosacchromyces pombe. G3 (Bethesda). 2015 May 08; 5(7):1453-61. Garcia JF, Al-Sady B, Madhani HD. PMID: 25957277; PMCID: PMC4502379.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 9     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    18. Division of labor between the chromodomains of HP1 and Suv39 methylase enables coordination of heterochromatin spread. Mol Cell. 2013 Jul 11; 51(1):80-91. Al-Sady B, Madhani HD, Narlikar GJ. PMID: 23849629; PMCID: PMC3752401.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 81     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    19. Reconstitution of nucleosome demethylation and catalytic properties of a Jumonji histone demethylase. Chem Biol. 2013 Apr 18; 20(4):494-9. Shiau C, Trnka MJ, Bozicevic A, Ortiz Torres I, Al-Sady B, Burlingame AL, Narlikar GJ, Fujimori DG. PMID: 23601638; PMCID: PMC3704229.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 16     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    20. Dynamic antagonism between phytochromes and PIF family basic helix-loop-helix factors induces selective reciprocal responses to light and shade in a rapidly responsive transcriptional network in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 2012 Apr; 24(4):1398-419. Leivar P, Tepperman JM, Cohn MM, Monte E, Al-Sady B, Erickson E, Quail PH. PMID: 22517317; PMCID: PMC3398554.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 104     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    21. Chromodomain-mediated oligomerization of HP1 suggests a nucleosome-bridging mechanism for heterochromatin assembly. Mol Cell. 2011 Jan 07; 41(1):67-81. Canzio D, Chang EY, Shankar S, Kuchenbecker KM, Simon MD, Madhani HD, Narlikar GJ, Al-Sady B. PMID: 21211724; PMCID: PMC3752404.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 173     Fields:    Translation:Cells
    22. The Arabidopsis phytochrome-interacting factor PIF7, together with PIF3 and PIF4, regulates responses to prolonged red light by modulating phyB levels. Plant Cell. 2008 Feb; 20(2):337-52. Leivar P, Monte E, Al-Sady B, Carle C, Storer A, Alonso JM, Ecker JR, Quail PH. PMID: 18252845; PMCID: PMC2276449.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 195     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    23. Mechanistic duality of transcription factor function in phytochrome signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Feb 12; 105(6):2232-7. Al-Sady B, Kikis EA, Monte E, Quail PH. PMID: 18245378; PMCID: PMC2538903.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 65     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    24. Out of the dark: how the PIFs are unmasking a dual temporal mechanism of phytochrome signalling. J Exp Bot. 2007; 58(12):3125-33. Monte E, Al-Sady B, Leivar P, Quail PH. PMID: 17855731.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 32     Fields:    Translation:Cells
    25. Photoactivated phytochrome induces rapid PIF3 phosphorylation prior to proteasome-mediated degradation. Mol Cell. 2006 Aug 04; 23(3):439-46. Al-Sady B, Ni W, Kircher S, Schäfer E, Quail PH. PMID: 16885032.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 261     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    26. The phytochrome-interacting transcription factor, PIF3, acts early, selectively, and positively in light-induced chloroplast development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Nov 16; 101(46):16091-8. Monte E, Tepperman JM, Al-Sady B, Kaczorowski KA, Alonso JM, Ecker JR, Li X, Zhang Y, Quail PH. PMID: 15505214; PMCID: PMC528976.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 143     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    27. A novel molecular recognition motif necessary for targeting photoactivated phytochrome signaling to specific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. Plant Cell. 2004 Nov; 16(11):3033-44. Khanna R, Huq E, Kikis EA, Al-Sady B, Lanzatella C, Quail PH. PMID: 15486100; PMCID: PMC527196.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 169     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    28. Phytochrome-interacting factor 1 is a critical bHLH regulator of chlorophyll biosynthesis. Science. 2004 Sep 24; 305(5692):1937-41. Huq E, Al-Sady B, Hudson M, Kim C, Apel K, Quail PH. PMID: 15448264.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 213     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    29. Nuclear translocation of the photoreceptor phytochrome B is necessary for its biological function in seedling photomorphogenesis. Plant J. 2003 Sep; 35(5):660-4. Huq E, Al-Sady B, Quail PH. PMID: 12940958.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 50     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells