MEMBER PROFILE
| First Name | Carlos |
| Last Name | Rivera Alvarez |
| University/Institution | Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School |
| Email ID | [email protected] |
| City | Boston |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Zip code | 02114 |
| Department | Molecular Biology |
| Area of Research | RNA, Epigenetics |
| Area of Expertise | Epigenetics, Biochemistry, Transcription |
Brief Description of Research Interest :
My research interests are highly oriented towards the biochemical basis of transcriptional regulation, particularly the role of non-coding RNAs in gene expression and chromatin regulation. My current research investigates the cellular stress response mediated by transcribed retrotransposons, widely known as small interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) and long non-coding RNAs under stress conditions.
Representative Publications:
1. Histone Modifications in Chromatin Replication and Transcription
My early work elucidated how methylation and acetylation of histone tails regulate chromatin dynamics and replication timing. I published key findings in Nucleic Acids Research and Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, identifying co-translational methylation of H3K9 as a crucial step in chromatin replication.
Selected Publications:
I. Rivera C et al. Methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 occurs during translation. Nucleic Acids Research. 2015;43(19):9097–106. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv929
II. Rivera C et al. Histone lysine methylation and chromatin replication. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 2014;1839(12):1433–9.DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2014.03.009
III. Rivera C et al. PP32 and SET/TAFIβ proteins regulate the acetylation of newly synthesized histone H4. Nucleic Acids Research. 2017, 16;45(20):11700-11710. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx775
2. Epigenetic Co-repressors in Transcriptional Regulation
During my doctoral training, I investigated non canonical roles of the CoREST family of transcriptional co-repressors.
Selected Publications:
I. Sáez JE, Arredondo C, Rivera C, et al. PIASγ controls stability and facilitates SUMO-2 conjugation to CoREST family of transcriptional co-repressors. Biochemical Journal. 2018;475(8):1441–54. DOI: 10.1042/BCJ20170983
II. Rivera C et al. Revealing RCOR2 as a regulatory component of nuclear speckles. Epigenetics Chromatin. 2021;14(1):51.DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00425-4
III. Rivera C et al. Unveiling RCOR1 as a rheostat at transcriptionally permissive chromatin. Nature Communications. 2022;13(1):1550. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29261-0
3. RNA-Based Epigenetic Regulation and Stress Response
My postdoctoral work is uncovering that B2 SINE RNAs and lncRNAs participate in RNA processing under different stress response pathways. These findings have implications for critical autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Selected Publications:
I. Aguilar R et al. Targeting Xist with compounds that disrupt RNA structure and X inactivation. Nature. 2022;604(7904):160–66.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04537-z
II. Ding M et al. A biophysical basis for the spreading behavior and limited diffusion of Xist. Cell. 2025;188(4):978–997.e25. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.12.004
III. Bujisic B et al. 7SL RNA and signal recognition particle orchestrate a global cellular response to acute thermal stress. Nature Communications. 2025. 16(1):1630 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56351-6
IV. Singhal A, Mrozowich T, Rivera C, et al. Cleavage region organizes the structural architecture of the B2 SINE ribozyme. Co-First authorship. In revision, Nature Communications Biology. Preprint available. DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.22.604665 (Preprint)