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Donald F. Senear

Professor, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biological Sciences

PH.D., University of Washington

Phone: (949)824-8014, 8013
Fax: (949) 824-8551
Email: dfsenear@uci.edu

University of California
3230 BS II
Mail Code: 3900
Irvine, CA 92697

picture of Donald F. Senear

Research
Interests
Regulatory Energetics and Protein-DNA Assemblies
   
URL darwin.bio.uci.edu/~faculty/senear/
   
Research
Abstract
Our goal is to understand the fundamental mechanisms of transcriptional regulation at the level of macromolecular structure, function and interactions. Initiation of transcription, the primary point for control of gene expression, is regulated by the spontaneous assembly of regulatory protein and DNA containing complexes. Specific promoters are metabolically or developmentally regulated through coupling interactions between the site-specific protein-DNA interactions and protein-protein interactions, protein and DNA conformational transitions and allosteric transitions mediated by binding of regulatory ligands.

Understanding the chemical basis for these macromolecular interactions provides the foundation to understand biological mechanisms of metabolic regulation, differentiation and development, and carcinogenesis.
   
Publications Tretyachenko-Ladokhina, V, Ross, J.B.A. & Senear, D.F. (2002) "Operator Site Binding by the E. coli CytR Repressor Protein: Different Binding Modes for Different Operators Suggests a Role in Differential Gene Regulation", J. Mol. Biol. 316 (3), 531-546.
   
  Gavigan S.A., Nguyen T., Nguyen N., Senear D.F. (1999) "Role of Multiple CytR Binding Sites on Cooperativity, Competition and Induction at the Escherichia coli udp Promoter" J. Biol Chem 274, 16010-16019.
   
  Rusinova, E., Ross, J.B.A., Laue, T.M., Sowers, L.C. & Rhee, K.Y., Senear, D.F. & Hatfield, G.W. (1998) "Transcriptional Activation by a Ligand-induced Conformational Change in a Protein-DNA Complex" J. Biol. Chem. 273, 11257-11266.
   
  Rusinova, E., Ross, J.B.A., Laue, T.M., Sowers, L.C. & Senear, D.F. (1997) "Linkage Between Operator Binding and Dimer to Octamer Assembly of Bacteriophage Lambda Repressor" Biochemistry 42, 12994-13003
   
  Barbier, C., Short, S & Senear, D.F. (1997) "The Allosteric Mechansim of Induction of CytR Controlled Gene Expression" J. Biol Chem. 272, 16962-16971.
   
  Huang, Y.T. Rusinova, E., Ross, J.B.A. & Senear, D.F. (1997) "An Aromatic Stacking Interaction Between Subunits Helps Mediate DNA Sequence Specificity: Operator Site Discrimination by Phage Lambda cI Repressor ", J. Mol. Biol. 267, 403-417..
   
Professional
Societies
The Biophysical Society
The Protein Society
   
Graduate Programs Mechanisms of Gene Expression

Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics

Protein Engineering

Biotechnology

   
Link to this profile http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=2697
   
Last updated 12/23/2002