 |
|
|
|
 |
David
P. Bazett-Jones
Professor
Ph.D., University of Toronto, 1981 |
Toronto Medical Discovery Tower Rm 15-307
416-813-2181
dbjones@sickkids.ca |
|
Molecular and Cellular Imaging
Research Synopsis
|
The goal of my research program
is to understand the structural basis for regulation of
nuclear activities, such as gene transcription initiation
and elongation. This knowledge is relevant to potential
therapies that return regulatory mechanisms to the cell.
One area of the program is to understand how DNA is organized
by chromatin proteins. In particular, we are studying
the protein complex called condensin. This molecular machine
is responsible for compacting DNA into metaphase chromosomes.
A second area of investigation addresses the significance
of PML (promyelocytic leukemia) bodies. There are approximately
ten of these domains or bodies in a cell nucleus, and
they are implicated in controlling cellular differentiation.
We are characterizing their structure and composition
in order to determine the molecular mechanisms by which
they function.
Future Research
In the past year, we have learned how condensin compacts
purified DNA fragments at the most fundamental level.
We are now turning our attention to how this molecular
machine interacts with nucleosomal DNA structures.
We also will try to determine how the PML subnuclear domains
assemble and disassemble during the cell cycle. We also
will investigate how viruses, such as HIV-1 and Adenovirus,
and other cellular stresses, affect the integrity and
function of these domains
|
|
|
Selected Publications
|
Kruhlak MJ, Hendzel MJ, Fischle
W, Bertos N, Yange X.-J, Verdin E, Bazett-Jones DP.
Regulation of acetylation in mitosis through loss of
histone acetyltransferases and deacetylases from chromatin.
J. Biol. Chem. 276: 38307-38319, 2001.
Boisvert F-M, Kruhlak MJ, Box A, Hendzel MJ, Bazett-Jones
DP. The transcription co-activator CBP is a dynamic
component of the PML nuclear body. J. Cell Biol. 152:
1099-1106, 2001.
Hendzel MJ, Kruhlak MJ, MacLean NAB, Boisvert F-M, Lever
MA, Bazett-Jones, D.P. Compartmentalization
of regulatory proteins in the cell nucleus. J. Steroid
Biochem. Mol. Biol. 76: 9-21, 2001.
Kruhlak MJ, Levert MA, Fischle W, Verdin E, Bazett-Jones
DP, Hendzel MJ. Mobility of the ASF splicing factor
in live cells. J. Cell Biol. 150: 41-51, 2000.
Boisvert F-M, Hendzel MJ, Bazett-Jones DP. Promyelocytic
Leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies are protein structures that
do not accumulate RNA. J. Cell Biol. 148: 283-292,
2000.
Hendzel MJ, Boisvert F-M, Bazett-Jones DP. Direct
visualization of a protein nuclear architecture. Molecular
Biology of the Cell 10: 2051-2062, 1999.
Bazett-Jones DP, Côté J, Landel CC, Peterson CL,
Workman JL. SWI/SNF complex creates loop domains in
DNA and polynucleosome arrays and can disrupt DNA histone
contacts within these domains. Mol. Cell. Biol.19:
1470-1478, 1999.
Hendzel MJ, Kruhlak MJ, Bazett-Jones DP. Organization
of highly acetylated chromatin around sites of Hn RNA
accumulation. Molecular Biology of the Cell 9: 2491-2507,
1998.
|
|
|
|
|
