| We study how receptors
modulate several mechanisms of gene expression control. The regulatory
targets, genes and mRNAs we examine are used as models to understand how
complex signaling pathway information becomes integrated within cells.
The basic idea is that how an mRNA is induced or suppressed in response
to a stimulus depends upon 1) how several different targets of signaling
are activated simultaneously and, 2) which of these factors assemble to
regulate a given gene or mRNA. We are mostly interested in regulatory
mechanisms, and the signaling pathways that control them, which are associated
with the immediate-early phases of mRNA modulation. These immediate-early
responses are less complicated by longer-term compensatory effects evoked
by receptor stimuli.
A major focus is to understand
more about how receptor signaling modulates mRNA decay, and the role of
such regulated post-transcriptional processes in governing gene expression
patterns. Another focus includes roles and regulation of various
transcription factors, such as CREB, AP-1 and NFAT, which are controlled
by Ca++ and MAPK signaling from mitogenic receptors.
Browse through our recent
publications to understand this research better. Most of our
work is conducted using vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells, and
is relevant to the medical problem of how numerous humoral factors modulate
vascular diseases. |
