It has become apparant that the key to understanding the mechanism and control of genetic information transfer resides on the interactions of DNA with various proteins, both enzymatic and non-enzymatic. Specific recognitions of DNA structure by proteins are involved at every step of DNA replication, transcription and recombination. Although a tremendous amount of information on DNA-protein interactions has accumulated over the past several years, the molecular mechanisms of the sequence recognition by these DNA-binding proteins still remain to be elucidated. Dr. Wu will continue to investigate the molecular mechansims and functional roles of DNA binding proteins in gene expression. Specific emphasis will be placed on (1) both structural and dynamic aspects of the recognition of specific sites on native DNA by RNA polymerase and other regulatory proteins and (2) the factors that affect the operation and regulation of gene expression.
