Photo: A Drosophila embryo stained for Zelda shows that it is ubiquitously expressed when the genome is activated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that Zelda binds broadly to CAGGTA motifs at this stage of development. Photo courtesy of the Harrison lab.
While the DNA genome encodes all the information required for organismal survival, it must be differentially interpreted to respond to developmental and environmental cues. Thus, a major theme in cellular and molecular biology is understanding how genes are expressed from the DNA genome and how failure to properly control expression can lead to developmental defects and diseases, such as cancer. While gene expression is regulated at many levels, the fundamental first step is transcription of the DNA genome into RNA. Members of the Transcriptional Mechanism Focus Group study a wide array of processes that control transcription, including the molecular mechanisms of the polymerase enzymes, the role of transcription factors in determining what areas of the genome are expressed, and how chromatin structure influences transcription. Researchers attack these challenging and important problems using a diversity of state-of-the-art techniques, ranging from biochemistry to genetics to genomics, and in organisms, ranging from bacteria to flies to mice.
The Transcriptional Mechanisms Focus Group interfaces with a number of initiatives on campus, including an epigenetics-focused initiative. To facilitate communication and collaboration amongst members, the Focus Group hosts monthly talks in which students and postdocs present their research to a broad audience.
Focus Group Chair Melissa Harrison
Biomolecular Chemistry Department
Zygotic genome transcriptional activation
mharrison3@wisc.edu
Focus Group Members
Nihal Ahmad
Credentials: Dermatology Department
Position title: Mechanism of cancer development & novel approaches for cancer management
Email:
nahmad
Elaine Alarid
Credentials: Oncology Department
Position title: Molecular mechanism of hormone action in cancer
Email:
alarid
Marjorie Brand
Credentials: Cell and Regenerative Biology
Position title: Leukemia; Blood differentiation; Gene regulation; Genomics; Proteomics
Email:
mbrand3
Emery Bresnick
Credentials: Cell & Regenerative Biology Department
Position title: Normal and malignant hematopoiesis; epigenetics; molecular medicine
Email:
ehbresni
David Brow
Credentials: Biomolecular Chemistry Department
Position title: DNA transcription and RNA splicing in yeast
Email:
dabrow
Dawn Davis
Credentials: Medicine, Division of Endocrinology
Position title: Pancreatic islet biology
Email:
dbd
John Denu
Credentials: Biomolecular Chemistry Department
Position title: Mechanisms of chromatin dynamics, epigenetics, metabolism, and signaling
Email:
jmdenu
Jeffrey Dilworth
Credentials: Cell & Regenerative Biology
Position title: Epigenetics; Muscle Regeneration; Stem Cell Biology; Gene Expression
Email:
fdilworth
Feyza Engin
Credentials: Biomolecular Chemistry Department
Position title: Endoplasmic reticulum stress, organelle dysfunction, unfolded protein response, beta cell function and diabetes
Email:
fengin
Amy Fowler
Credentials: Radiology Department
Position title: Molecular imaging of steroid receptors in breast cancer
Email:
afowler
Andrea Galmozzi
Credentials: Medicine Department
Position title: Intracellular trafficking of signaling metabolites
Email:
agalmozzi
Audrey Gasch
Credentials: Genetics Department
Position title: Genomic expression in response to stress
Email:
agasch
Gaelen Hess
Credentials: Biomolecular Chemistry
Position title: High-Throughput Mammalian Functional Genomics
Email:
ghess3
Zhen Huang
Credentials: Neurology Department
Position title: Cerebral cortex development, neuronel migration, dendrite development
Email:
z.huang
Eric Johannsen
Credentials: Medicine Department
Position title: Transcription, Growth Transformation, Notch Signaling
Email:
ejohannsen
Joan Jorgensen
Credentials: Comparative Biosciences Department
Position title: Transcriptional control of gonad development
Email:
joan.jorgensen
Junsu Kang
Credentials: Cell & Regenerative Biology Department
Position title: Regeneration, zebrafish, enhancer, fin, heart
Email:
junsu.kang
Robert Landick
Credentials: Biochemistry Department
Position title: Control of transcription elongation; RNA polymerase structure/function
Email:
landick
Jessica Lang
Credentials: Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Position title: Translational ovarian cancer epigenetics
Email:
jessica.lang
Peter Lewis
Credentials: Biomolecular Chemistry Department
Position title: Mechanisms of chromatin assembly, gene silencing, and epigenetic inheritance
Email:
peter.lewis
Bo Liu
Credentials: Surgery Department
Position title: Cell death, signal transduction, extracellular matrix, inflammation, vascular disease
Email:
liub
Valentina Lo Sardo
Credentials: Cell and Regenerative Biology Department
Position title: Human genetic variations in cardiovascular and cancer biology
Email:
losardo
Ahmed Mahmoud
Credentials: Cell & Regenerative Biology Department
Position title: Mammalian Heart Regeneration
Email:
aimahmoud
Kinjal Majumder
Credentials: Oncology Department
Position title: Mechanisms of virus localization to cellular DNA breaks
Email:
kmajumder
Daniel Matson
Credentials: Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Position title: Transcription Factors and Replication Origins
Email:
drmatson
Shigeki Miyamoto
Credentials: Oncology Department
Position title: Regulatory mechanisms of Rel/NF-kappaB transcription factors
Email:
smiyamot
Freya Mowat
Credentials: Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Department
Position title: Retinal photoreceptor metabolism and aging
Email:
mowat
Donna Neumann
Credentials: Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Department
Position title: 3D chromatin control of DNA viruses
Email:
dneumann3
Xuan Pan
Credentials: Medical Sciences Department
Position title: Epigenetic regulation, hematopoiesis, mouse models
Email:
xpan24
Francisco Pelegri
Credentials: Genetics Department
Position title: Genetic control of zebrafish embryogenesis
Email:
fjpelegri
Abbas Rizvi
Credentials: Neuroscience Department
Position title: Single cell and spatially resolved studies of gene regulation
Email:
ahrizvi
Avtar Roopra
Credentials: Neuroscience Department
Position title: Regulation of chromatin structure in neurons and cancer
Email:
asroopra
Lixin Rui
Credentials: Medicine Department
Position title: Molecular pathogenesis of lymphoma
Email:
lrui
Vijay Setaluri
Credentials: Dermatology Department
Position title: Cell and molecular biology of skin in health and disease
Judith Simcox
Credentials: Biochemistry Department
Position title: Lipid metabolism in cold exposure
Email:
jsimcox
Andre Sousa
Credentials: Neuroscience Department
Position title: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of human brain development and evolution.
Email:
andre.sousa
Rupa Sridharan
Credentials: Cell & Regenerative Biology Department
Position title: Epigenetics, somatic cell reprogramming, cell fate change
Email:
rsridharan2
John Svaren
Credentials: Comparative Biosciences Department
Position title: Transcriptional regulation of peripheral nerve myelination
Email:
jpsvaren
Marcelo Vargas
Credentials: Neurology Department
Position title: Cell and molecular biology of astrocytes. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Email:
mvargas
David Wassarman
Credentials: Medical Genetics Department
Position title: Neurodegeneration in Drosophila
Email:
dawassarman
Jyoti Watters
Credentials: Comparative Biosciences Department
Position title: Signal transduction and epigenetic regulation of microglial gene transcription and immune function
Email:
jjwatters
Deneen Wellik
Credentials: Cell & Regenerative Biology Department
Position title: Hox genes, Organogenesis, Regeneration, mesenchymal stem cells, Mouse genetics
Email:
wellik
Wei Xu
Credentials: Oncology Department
Position title: Epigenetic regulation of breast cancer
Email:
wxu
Jerry Yin
Credentials: Genetics Department
Position title: Cellular/molecular mechanisms of memory formation and psychiatric dysfunction
Email:
jcyin
Fei Zhao
Credentials: Comparative Biosciences Department
Position title: Sexual differentiation of reproductive tracts
Email:
fei.zhao
Xinyu Zhao
Credentials: Neuroscience Department
Position title: Epigenetic regulation, neural stem cells, neurodevelopment, noncoding RNA, RNA binding protein, learning and memory
Email:
xinyu.zhao