Transcriptional Regulation by Two-Domain HLH Proteins

Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc., Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). In multicellular organisms, members of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family control the ability of a single cell type to give rise to many different cell types. They also influence the development of the brain and other sensory organs. Within the bHLH family, REF-1 proteins of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans use cellular and environmental signals to control development by regulating gene expression. This project addresses how members of this family carry out their functions, and whether the mechanism of regulation is significantly affected by their unique structure. There are three specific aims in this project. First, Dr. Johnson and the members of her laboratory will identify other proteins that act with the REF-1 family proteins to control C. elegans development. Second, they will identify genes that are regulated by members of the REF-1 protein family. Third, they will determine if the REF-1 proteins control gene expression by binding to DNA. This research will help to establish a baseline for the mechanisms of developmental regulation by the REF-1 family members. It will also further the current knowledge of how major cell signaling pathways act through cell- and tissue- specific proteins to control major developmental events. Broader impacts: 1) The research described will be carried out at Georgia State University, an urban university that currently serves a large population of minority students and students traditionally underrepresented in sciences and mathematics. 2) These activities will be used to formulate training projects for three graduate and two undergraduate students, for high school teachers during summer internship and professional development experiences, and for middle school students in the greater Atlanta area. 3) All members of the Johnson laboratory, including undergraduates and K-12 teachers, will continue to participate in local, national, and international research symposia. This will serve to increase the laboratory members' exposure to a broader scientific community and to disseminate the research and educational activities of the laboratory.