Research 
Our main goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms that establish the body plans of multi-cellular animals. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, many genes that control body form have been genetically identified in the last twenty years. Most of these genes encode transcription factors that are localized in patterns in the early embryo. We have concentrated our efforts on the regulation of the pair-rule genes, which are expressed in patterns of stripes in the early embryo (Figure 1). By studying how these patterns are established, we hope to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in position-specific activation and repression of transcription. Since many of the transcription factors we study in fruit flies are evolutionarily similar to factors in higher eukaryotes, understanding how they work in Drosophila should provide us with profound insights into developmental mechanisms in higher animals and man. Current Projects: 1. Mechanisms of stripe formation.
Many of the identified binding sites in the enhancers are arranged in clusters, suggesting that activation may involve cooperative binding to neighboring sites. Furthermore, repression may involve competition for DNA-binding, or protein-protein interactions between activators and repressors. We are currently using biochemical approaches to test these hypotheses. We are also using genetic and biochemical approaches to identify other factors that may be important for stripe regulation. These experiments have identified new proteins involved in repression and activation. By studying these in detail, we hope to understand the complexities of enhancer-mediated transcription.
We have currently extended these experiments to test the role of other segmentation genes, including the gap genes giant (gt), hunchback (hb), and Kruppel (Kr), as well as several other segmentation genes. These experiments will continue to shed light on the mechanisms by which these genes control cell fate choices during development. This work is funded by grants from the NIH and the NSF. Biosketch I received my Ph. D. in developmental biology in 1988 from the University of Cincinnati. For my thesis, I worked with Dr. Richard Akeson on the structure and function of different NCAM polypeptides in rat development. NCAMs are cell adhesion molecules t hat may be important for establishing connectivity in the developing nervous system. From 1989-1993, I worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University and at U. C. San Diego with Dr. Michael Levine on the formation of embryonic pattern that estab lishes the body plan in Drosophila. I joined NYU's biology department in 1993 as an assistant professor. In my lab, we are continuing to study how genes control the establishment of different body forms. Teaching I am involved in teaching both undergraduate and graduate students. At the undergraduate level, I teach an upper level course in Developmental Biology with Dr. Benfey, and participate in core courses such as Principles of Biology and Molecular and Cell Biology, which are team-taught. At the graduate level, I am the organizer of Molecular Genetics, a rigorous course designed for Ph.D. students. I also teach several lectures in Foundations of Developmental Genetics I and II, and organize a journal club entitled Special Topics in Developmental Biology. At present, there are two postdoctoral fellows, one Ph.D. student, a full-time technician, and three undergraduate students working in the laboratory. Areas of Research/Interest Spatial control of gene transcription during early Drosophila development External Affiliations Genetics Society of America, American Association for Advancement of Science. Fellowships/Honors National Institutes of Health Research Grant, 1996-2001; National Science Foundation Research Grant, 1995-1998; National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1991-1993.
Publications
|
|
|
