UC Santa Cruz

The cell cycle is essential for the growth and development of all multi-cellular organisms and is temporally regulated to coordinate processes such as cell size growth, organelle expansion, DNA replication, expression of mitotic proteins, chromatin condensation, and mitosis. Cell cycle proliferation is tightly regulated by a number of mechanisms including the transcription of G1/S and G2/M genes. In mammals, DREAM and Rb-E2F complexes are considered master regulators of the cell cycle and differentiation yet the molecular mechanisms underlying how these complexes activate and repress genes are still emerging. DREAM and Rb-E2F complexes are promoter dominant transcription factors that bind to target genes near their transcription start sites and modulate their expression. Evidence suggests that these transcription factors interact with chromatin and chromatin-modifying enzymes to alter the chromatin state in promoters. This work explores how these transcription factors engage with chromatin to modulate gene expression.