The Regulatory Biochemistry (RB) Division of BMBB is comprised of faculty whose research programs focus on the structure, function and regulation of macromolecules with an emphasis on integrating signal transduction, metabolism and gene expression. Research in this area is broad and encompasses such diverse topics as extracellular matrix and cell surface receptors, transporters and ion channels, signaling systems and enzyme action as well hormonal and metabolic control of gene expression. The faculty is also involved in a variety of research efforts directed towards an understanding of the molecular basis of metabolic disease. RB faculty teach a variety of topics in the BMBB curriculum but primarily deal with those courses that emphasize the molecular aspects of cellular metabolism and its regulation.

Techniques used in RB span the spectrum of contemporary examination, from mass spectrometry through gene microarray analysis. Proteomics yields the mass and where database information is available, the sequence and/or identity of peptides. Often such analysis can allow the investigator to identify proteins from complex mixtures without purification or enrichment. Moreover, for those cases where covalent modifications are involved (phosphorylation, acylation, oxidation, gamma-carboxylation, etc.) proteomics can reveal patterns of modification in response to a particular cellular stimulus or genotype. Gene microarray analysis allows for the simultaneous assessment of thousands of genes by the use of dual-probe hybridization. Human, mouse and yeast microarrays are currently being used by investigators to detect changes in gene expression in response to hormonal or metabolic signals. Expansion of proteomics and microarray technology through the initiative of RB faculty has allowed for new opportunities for the study of signal transduction and gene expression. The two technologies in tandem represent a significant advancement in our technologies and afford RB investigators unmatched opportunities for biological exploration.

Primary Members

Metabolic control and gene regulation, obesisty/insulin action, lipid metabolism

Molecular immunology; molecular medicine

Proteomics and mass spectrometry

Therapeutic intervention in diabetes via manipulation of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes and their genes

Carcinogen metabolism and exposure

Natriuretic peptide receptors, guanylyl cyclases and cGMP

Mechanism and regulation of amino acid neurotransmission in mammalian brain; mechanism of amino acid transport in mammalian brain

Secondary Members

Structure and biosynthesis of bacterial cell walls and membranes

Regulation of gene expression by chromatin structure and dynamics, modulation of chromatin structure by covalent modifications and non-histone chromosomal proteins

Gene expression; protein phosphorylation cascades

Cell adhesion; protein/carbohydrate interactions

Eucaryotic molecuar biology; hormone action; gene expression

Molecular dynamics in muscle

Nutritional and hormonal regulation of mammalian gene expression

Joint Members - From Other Departments

Solid-phase peptide synthesis; chemistry of thiols, disulfides, and polysulfanes; rational design of protein analogues

Transport of ions and small molecules across cellular membranes

Deborah Ferrington
(Opthalmology)

Cellular mechanisms involved in retinal degeneration and age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Role of protein tyrosine phosphatases in cell differentiation and cell adhesion

T-Lymphocyte activation; cell-cell interaction and transmfmebrane signaling; membrane structure