9453447 David G. Schatz This research focuses on understanding how vertebrate organisms change the structure of their DNA, particularly through site specific recombination. Specifically, the PI will examine the process by which lymphocytes assemble their antigen receptor genes, studying both the enzymology and molecular basis of this site specific recombination reaction. This work has implications beyond immunology, because the PI will analyze what other cell types besides lymphocytes may make use of such site specific mechanisms to encode genetic information. In particular, he will also study processes in the nervous system. Dr. Schatz Proposes to create transgenic mice in which the expression, but none has been adapted successfully for use in a living mammal. Such a system would provide a powerful new tool for the study of development and gene function. Analyses of these mice will provide a variety of insights into several different biological realms: (1) the immune system; (2) the enzymology of site specific recombination in vertebrates; (3) the integrity of the genome; and (4) the discovery of other site specific recombination processes in vertebrates. These experiments will provide a new vantage point from which to view the vertebrate genome, the forces that protect it, and the processes that alter it. ***
