The long-range goal of our research is to determine the physiological role of both the ELL and MLL proteins and their complexes in regulation of gene expression. Understanding the regulation of gene expression is essential for our comprehension of pathogenesis and the treatment of human cancer. Much of the regulation of gene expression important for growth and development occurs at the level of transcription. We have identified a class of transcription regulatory factors, the ELL family, which includes ELL, ELL2, and ELL3. The ELL gene undergoes frequent translocations with the MLL gene leading to the development of leukemia. We have demonstrated that ELL is required for the transforming activity of the MLL-ELL chimera. We hypothesize that ELL may function in the MLL-ELL chimera to alter MLL's transcriptional activation properties. Because of its relationship to ELL, we have also studied the role of MLL in cellular regulation. The Drosophila homologue of the MLL protein is the product of the trithorax gene (trx). The Trithorax protein is a putative DNA binding protein, which is involved in positive regulation of developmentally regulated genes. Very little is known about the human MLL protein. The MLL gene has been implicated in several hematological malignancies. We have found that the MLL protein and the MLL-ELL chimera exist in large macromolecular complexes. We plan to identify and characterize the gene products associated with MLL in these complexes in order to define their role in the regulation of gene expression. Our three Specific Aims and a brief description of methods are described below:
Aim 1. To determine the role of the MLL and MLL-ELL complexes and subunits of these complexes in the regulation of gene expression using in vitro transcription and purified proteins.
Aim 2. To correlate the functional domains of ELL proteins with cell transformation, and to define the role of the ELL associated proteins in this process using a cell transformation system and chimeric proteins.
Aim 3. To test the role of the ELL C-terminal domain-dependent dimerization in MLL-ELL chimera mediated cell immortalization, using a cell transformation system. We will use a variety of modern biochemical, enzymological, and molecular biological tools to achieve the above proposed aims. Focusing on the ELL and MLL transcription factors gives our laboratory a unique entry point to attack the related problems of transcriptional regulation and oncogenesis. These studies should: i) help to improve our understanding of the global regulation of transcription by factors such as ELL and MLL; ii) shed light on why ELL translocations into MLL result in the development of human leukemia; iii) provide information about other novel factors that associate with the MLL protein; and iv) expand our knowledge of the physiological role of the MLL gene product and its involvement in multiple hematological malignancies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01CA089455-01A1
Application #
6369360
Study Section
Physiological Chemistry Study Section (PC)
Program Officer
Mietz, Judy
Project Start
2001-06-01
Project End
2005-05-31
Budget Start
2001-06-01
Budget End
2002-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$233,100
Indirect Cost
Name
Saint Louis University
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63103
Morgan, Marc A; Shilatifard, Ali (2015) Chromatin signatures of cancer. Genes Dev 29:238-49
Luo, Zhuojuan; Gao, Xin; Lin, Chengqi et al. (2015) Zic2 is an enhancer-binding factor required for embryonic stem cell specification. Mol Cell 57:685-694
Liang, Kaiwei; Gao, Xin; Gilmore, Joshua M et al. (2015) Characterization of human cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) and CDK13 complexes in C-terminal domain phosphorylation, gene transcription, and RNA processing. Mol Cell Biol 35:928-38
Smith, Edwin; Shilatifard, Ali (2014) Enhancer biology and enhanceropathies. Nat Struct Mol Biol 21:210-9
Herz, Hans-Martin; Morgan, Marc; Gao, Xin et al. (2014) Histone H3 lysine-to-methionine mutants as a paradigm to study chromatin signaling. Science 345:1065-70
Gardini, Alessandro; Baillat, David; Cesaroni, Matteo et al. (2014) Integrator regulates transcriptional initiation and pause release following activation. Mol Cell 56:128-139
Herz, Hans-Martin; Hu, Deqing; Shilatifard, Ali (2014) Enhancer malfunction in cancer. Mol Cell 53:859-66
Herz, Hans-Martin; Garruss, Alexander; Shilatifard, Ali (2013) SET for life: biochemical activities and biological functions of SET domain-containing proteins. Trends Biochem Sci 38:621-39
Smith, Edwin; Shilatifard, Ali (2013) Transcriptional elongation checkpoint control in development and disease. Genes Dev 27:1079-88
Hu, Deqing; Smith, Edwin R; Garruss, Alexander S et al. (2013) The little elongation complex functions at initiation and elongation phases of snRNA gene transcription. Mol Cell 51:493-505

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