Cao Lab
Principal Investigator: Xinyun Cao
Institution: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: ✅ Accepting PhD Students ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
Project Summary Transcription, the first step in gene expression, is carried out by RNA polymerase (RNAP). RNAP is a multi- subunit protein that transcribes DNA into RNA in a tightly regulated process of transcription. In bacteria, the catalytic core of RNAP is conserved, yet distinct modules and peripheral subunits confer species-specific modes of regulation. A deeper understanding of RNAP structure, function, and regulation promises to rationally manipulate RNAP and gene expression, while also yielding insights applicable to eukaryotic systems. Our current knowledge of bacterial transcription mechanisms is largely derived from the model organism E. coli. However, it has become increasingly evident that the process of transcription is more complex in various bacteria, and even a species closely related to E. coli exhibits markedly different regulation of transcription. The long-term goal of my research is to study how the mechanisms of transcription and its regulation differ across bacterial species and to exploit these differences for species-specific RNAP inhibitors as research tools and antimicrobial leads. In this proposal, I focus on two fundamental processes: RNAP pausing an…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R35GM166110-01: Exploring RNA Polymerase Dynamics and Regulatory Architecture Across Divergent Bacterial Species (2026)
- 5R00AI166036-04: Mechanistic Dissection and Antibiotic Discovery Targeting Clostridioides difficile RNA Polymerase (2025)
- 4R00AI166036-03: Mechanistic Dissection and Antibiotic Discovery Targeting Clostridioides difficile RNA Polymerase (2024)
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