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| Work Address: |
Office
MSB
Los Angeles, CA 90095
UNITED STATES
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| Work Address: |
Laboratory
MSB
Los Angeles, CA 90095
UNITED STATES
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| Work Address: |
1602 Mol Sci Bldg
CAMPUS - 148906
CA
UNITED STATES
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(310) 825-6254
Laboratory
310-825-8890
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Regulation of gene expression at the postranscriptional level
Our laboratory is interested primarily in the regulation of gene expression at the postranscriptional level in simple cells like bacteria and yeast. This work focuses on RNA structure, RNA/protein interaction and G-protein signal transduction. One area has to do with the structure and function of antisense RNAs, which are small diffusible transcripts that pair to complementary regions on target RNAs to inhibit their function. We are interested in how antisense RNA/target RNA structures influences pairing processes, and how these pairing mechanisms evolved. We are also interested in RNA structure as it relates to translation initiation. We have shown that intramolecular RNA structure can block ribosome binding, and current efforts focus on defining the pathways and kinetics of how such structures form. Another research area involves the regulation of RNA decay. We have carefully defined several RNA decay pathways in E. coli, and we are now studying the underlying RNA/protein interactions. A relatively new project focuses on how nuclear/cytoplasmic transport affects mRNA stability in yeast. Another project involves signal transduction by an essential G-protein that is conserved in eubacteria, and a member of the small G-protein family that includes the ras oncogene. Our interest lies in knowing the role this protein plays in regulating cell division, and in comparing its structure and function with that of other small G-proteins. All of these projects involve classical genetic approaches (the isolation and characterization of mutants), modern genetic methods (such as site-directed mutagenesis and PCR-based in vitro selection), and biochemical analysis (including RNA/RNA and protein/RNA binding studies).
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Zeiler BN and Simons RW Antisense RNA structure and function..
RNA Structure and Function
1998;
437-464.
Simons RW and Grunberg-Manago M (Eds) RNA Structure and Function..
RNA Structure and Function
1998;
.
Sussman JK, Simons EL and Simons RW Eschericia coli translation initiation factor 3 discriminates the initiation codon in vivo..
Molec. Microbiol.
1996; 21:
347-360.
Beran RK, Simons RW Cold-temperature induction of Escherichia coli polynucleotide phosphorylase occurs by reversal of its autoregulation..
Molecular microbiology. .
2001; 39(1):
112-25.
Johnstone BH, Handler AA, Chao DK, Nguyen V, Smith M, Ryu SY, Simons EL, Anderson PE, Simons RW The widely conserved Era G-protein contains an RNA-binding domain required for Era function in vivo..
Molecular microbiology. .
1999; 33(6):
1118-31.
Matsunaga J, Simons EL, Simons RW RNase III autoregulation: structure and function of rncO, the posttranscriptional "operator"..
RNA (New York, N.Y.) .
1996; 2(12):
1228-40.
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