Dr. Burr Atkinson
Regulation of gene expression
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Position: Professor Emeritus Office: Rm 333, Western Science Centre Phone: 519 661 - 3137 Fax: 519 661-3935 Email: burra@uwo.ca
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Research Statement:
The molecular mechanisms that determine which genes are transcribed in any particular cell are subjects of crucial importance to our understanding of long- or short-term cellular programming in response to internal and external stimuli. Our research addresses this fundamental issue, and focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression. We have used heat shock (HS) and thyroid hormone (TH) as separate means of rapidly changing/reprogramming gene expression in responsive cells. Our HS studies have characterized the HS response and defined the HSPs synthesized in a variety of animal and plant systems. Our TH investigations are focused on using TH to precociously induce metamorphic responses (i.e. postembryonic changes in gene expression) in the amphibian tadpole. We have prepared genomic DNA and cDNA libraries to amphibian (Rana catesbeiana) tissues and are using them to characterize particular genes and elucidate the molecular means by which TH upregulates the expression of these genes.
