Brow Lab
Principal Investigator: David A Brow
Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, WI)
Primary Subfield: Synthetic Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Project Summary RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions lie at the heart of essential steps of the eukaryotic gene expression pathway. Defects in these interactions due to inherited mutations can result in age- dependent degeneration of the retina, motor neurons, and other neural tissues. The proposed studies will result in a better understanding of RNA-based mechanisms of gene expression in both the normal and disease states. In the next five years we will pursue three main goals, using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a facile model system. First, we will examine the molecular mechanism of activation of the spliceosome for the first catalytic step of pre-mRNA splicing. This process requires allosteric signal transmission through RNA and protein over distances of 100 angstroms or more and results in large-scale remodeling of the spliceosome to allow progression of the splicing cycle. Second, we will elucidate the basis for regulation of expression of a key enzyme in purine nucleotide metabolism, IMPDH, interrogating both transcriptional and post-transcriptional steps. Inherited alterations in a regulatory domain of IMPDH and in proteins that direct spliceosome activation are ass…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35GM118075-10: RNA-based mechanisms in nuclear steps of gene expression (2025)
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