Research Interests
Our
current research is focused on a Drosophila melanogaster gene
(Pkc1) encoding a protein kinase C. Protein
kinase C (PKC) is a family of calcium and phospholipid
dependent serine/threonine kinases that are centrally
positioned in several important cellular signaling
pathways. Most research on PKCs has been in mammalian
cells or tissues and has not addressed important
questions concerning the regulation of the genes
encoding these enzymes in whole organisms. Our studies
focus on a complete multicellular organism, D.
melanogaster, with the accompanying possibilities
of genetic and molecular manipulations to ask very
specific biologically significant questions. Current
research includes isolating genomic and cDNA clones
to further understand different transcription start
and end sites, the splicing events that lead to the
observed multiple mRNAs, and the possibility of multiple
different functional proteins being encoded by Pkc1.
We are also pursuing the production of specific insertional
mutants in this gene by mobilizing transposable elements
and identifying the desired mutant progeny via a
PCR-based screening procedure. Recent studies have
also used in situ hybridization techniques
to characterize the distribution of specific Pkc1 RNAs
in several selected tissues and developmental stages,
and following treatment with known tumour promoters.
We have found that certain known tumour promoters
are able to transcriptionally activate this gene
and some supposedly biologically inactive parent
compounds also have transcriptional enhancing activity
in certain cell types and stages. The results of
much of this research are currently being prepared
for publication.
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