Neuropeptides, a very heterogenous group of compounds located throughout the brain, play an important role in the communication of signals between neurons. Some neuropeptides function as traditional neurotransmitters while other perform modulatory or regulatory roles. The proenkephalin peptides function as signaling molecules in the brain and hormones in the peripheral system. Dr. McMurray is interested in the mechanisms by which cell surface receptors can signal the turning on and off of the proenkephalin gene. By using an experimental approach that includes a powerful combination of biophysical and molecular biological techniques, she will characterize protein-DNA interactions involved in the transactivation of the human enkephalin gene. Dr. McMurray has developed genetically- engineered regulatory proteins to examine the signals that occur between the cell surface and the gene. Moreover, she will use both natural genes and genetically altered genes to determine how the regulatory proteins interact with brain signaling genes to "turn on" expression. The results from these studies will provide a detailed molecular structure and function of the proenkephalin gene. These findings may lead to new insights in the fundamental processes underlying gene expression and begin to unravel the receptor-mediated pathways that are commonly used in both hormonal responses and neurotransmission.
