Jean-François Couture

Research

Read how they describe their research on their University of Ottawa profile.

Epigenetics Histone Lysine Methylation Trithorax X-Ray Crystallography Cazyme Ibd Microbiome

Latest papers

Probing the Cancer Mutational Landscape of KMT2 Regulatory Subunits.
FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026 · senior author
Structural insights into an atypical histone binding mechanism by a PHD finger.
Structure (London, England : 1993) · 2024 · senior author
Analyzing the impact of CFP1 mutational landscape on epigenetic signaling.
FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2021 · senior author

All 11 publications

Latest funding

Biochemical and structural studies of poly-TPR containing proteins involved in epigenetic signalling.
CIHR · 2024 · Nominated PI
$669,376
Enabling precision interventions for individuals with IBD
CIHR · 2024 · Principal investigator
$20,000
Biochemical Characterization of proteins linked to epigenetic signalling.
NSERC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$104,600

All 27 grants and awards

11 publications.

01

Probing the Cancer Mutational Landscape of KMT2 Regulatory Subunits.

Grégoire S, Chow S, Joshi M, Zhang P, Ahmad AA, Janna A, Tremblay V, Muñoz M, Mer A, Couture JF

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1096/fj.202504644r PMID: 41949561

02

Structural insights into an atypical histone binding mechanism by a PHD finger.

Grégoire S, Grégoire J, Yang Y, Capitani S, Joshi M, Sarvan S, Zaker A, Ning Z, Figeys D, Ulrich K, Brunzelle JS, Mer A, Couture JF

Structure (London, England : 1993)2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.06.017 PMID: 39029460

03

Analyzing the impact of CFP1 mutational landscape on epigenetic signaling.

Yang Y, Yang Y, Chan K, Couture JF

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology2021Senior author

DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100427r PMID: 34320252

04

Structural Paradigms in the Recognition of the Nucleosome Core Particle by Histone Lysine Methyltransferases.

Janna A, Davarinejad H, Joshi M, Couture JF

Frontiers in cell and developmental biology2020Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00600 PMID: 32850785

05

Structure and Conformational Dynamics of a COMPASS Histone H3K4 Methyltransferase Complex.

Qu Q, Takahashi YH, Yang Y, Hu H, Zhang Y, Brunzelle JS, Couture JF, Shilatifard A, Skiniotis G

Cell2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.07.020 PMID: 30100186

06

Acetylation of PCNA Sliding Surface by Eco1 Promotes Genome Stability through Homologous Recombination.

Billon P, Li J, Lambert JP, Chen Y, Tremblay V, Brunzelle JS, Gingras AC, Verreault A, Sugiyama T, Couture JF, Côté J

Molecular cell2017

DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.10.033 PMID: 27916662

07

A charge-suppressing strategy for probing protein methylation.

Ning Z, Star AT, Mierzwa A, Lanouette S, Mayne J, Couture JF, Figeys D

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)2016

DOI: 10.1039/c6cc00814c PMID: 27021271

08

UTX inhibition as selective epigenetic therapy against TAL1-driven T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Benyoucef A, Palii CG, Wang C, Porter CJ, Chu A, Dai F, Tremblay V, Rakopoulos P, Singh K, Huang S, Pflumio F, Hébert J, Couture JF, Perkins TJ, Ge K, Dilworth FJ, Brand M

Genes & development2016

DOI: 10.1101/gad.276790.115 PMID: 26944678

09

Assembling a COMPASS.

Couture JF, Skiniotis G

Epigenetics2013First author

DOI: 10.4161/epi.24177 PMID: 23470558

10

The plasticity of WDR5 peptide-binding cleft enables the binding of the SET1 family of histone methyltransferases.

Zhang P, Lee H, Brunzelle JS, Couture JF

Nucleic acids research2012Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr1235 PMID: 22266653

Biochemical and structural studies of poly-TPR containing proteins involved in epigenetic signalling.

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Couture, Jean-François

Keywords: Epigenetics; Histone

$669,376

Enabling precision interventions for individuals with IBD

Principal investigatorCIHR2024Team Gr.: Embracing Diversity to Achieve Precision/Health Equity -Gen. Omics-LOI

Principal investigators: Stintzi, Alain; Couture, Jean-François; Figeys, Daniel; Mack, David R; Roussel, Charlène R

Keywords: Cazyme; Ibd; Microbiome; Omics

$20,000

Biochemical Characterization of proteins linked to epigenetic signalling.

Principal investigatorNSERC2023Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Couture, Jean-Francois

Keywords: chromatin; enzyme; epigenetics; histone; lysine methylation; nucleosome; structural biology

$104,600

Establishing a cryo-EM pipeline for protein structure elucidation

Co-investigatorNSERC2023Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Baenziger, John

$150,000

Investigating the role of a lysine methyltransferase in breast cancer progression

Nominated PICIHR2022Project Grant - PA: Breast Cancer Research

Principal investigators: Couture, Jean-François

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Cytoskeleton; Metastasis; Methyltransferase; Migration; Tumor Growth

$100,000

Host-directed drug development for tuberculosis

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Project Grant - PA: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research

Principal investigators: Sun, Jim

Keywords: Autophagy; Host Response To Tuberculosis; Host-Directed Drug Discovery; Host-Directed Therapy; Innate Immune Response; Macrophage Antibacterial Pathways; Metal Dependent Phosphatases; Mycobacterium Tuberculosis; Ppm1a; Tuberculosis

$750,000

Characterization of a novel family of epigenetic readers.

Nominated PICIHR2021Project Grant - PA: Epigenetics/epigenomics in human health or disease

Principal investigators: Couture, Jean-François

Keywords: Structural Biology

$100,000

Targeting the epigenetic state of refractory and relapsing acute myeloid leukemia

Principal investigatorCIHR2018Operating Grant: Epigenetics Clinical Translation

Principal investigators: Stanford, William L; Brand, Marjorie C; Couture, Jean-François; Dilworth, Jeffrey J; Ito, Caryn

Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (Aml); Drug Development; Epigenetics; Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; Trithorax

$1,500,000

Advanced Protein Engineering Training, Internships, Courses, and Exhibition (APPRENTICE)

Co-investigatorNSERC2018Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Principal investigators: Chica, Roberto

$1,650,000

Novel approach to destabilize protein interactions in T-ALL

Principal investigatorCIHR2017Operating Grant: Impact Grant : CEEHRC Phase II

Principal investigators: Brand, Marjorie C; Couture, Jean-François

Keywords: Chip-Seq; Genomics; Leukemia; Mutagenesis; Protein Interactions; Protein Structure / Function; Xenograft

$588,081

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology
Institut de recherche en immunologie et cancer
Department of Molecular Genetics
Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology
Department of Medicine

Co-authors at University of Ottawa, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Daniel Figeys

Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

2 shared papers, latest 2024

Arvind Mer

Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

2 shared papers, latest 2026

Marjorie Brand

Department of Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Kin Chan

Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Anne-Claude Gingras

Department of Molecular Genetics

1 shared papers, latest 2017

Ilona Skerjanc

Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology

1 shared papers, latest 2011

Alain Verreault

Institut de recherche en immunologie et cancer

1 shared papers, latest 2017

Write to this professor

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Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Epigenetics Dear Professor Couture, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Probing the Cancer Mutational Landscape of KMT2 Regulatory Subunits." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Biochemical and structural studies of poly-TPR containing proteins involved in epigenetic signalling." (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]