Catherine A. Fox
 |
Associate Professor
Office: (608) 262-9370 |
Education
- B.S. 1986, University of California-Riverside;
- Ph.D. 1992, University of Wisconsin-Madison (M. Wickens);
- Postdoctoral 1992-96, University of California-Berkeley (J. Rine).
Honors & Awards
- Burroughs Wellcome Career Award in Biomedical Sciences, 1996;
- Shaw Scientist Award, 1998;
- American Cancer Society Research Scholar, 2002.
Research Interests
We are interested in mechanisms that integrate the cell cycle, chromosome structure and gene expression to control cell differentiation. We combine genetic, molecular and biochemical approaches in yeast as our model organism. In one project we are examining the role of the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), which controls both chromosome replication and chromatin-mediated transcriptional regulation. We want to understand how these two different roles of ORC are regulated.
In a second project, we are studying protein-protein interactions between ORC and the Sir1 protein. The Sir1 protein nucleates the assembly of specialized chromatin that represses transcription at only a few chromosomal positions. Interactions between the ORC and the Sir1 protein are confined to these positions. We want to understand what controls a Sir1p/ORC interaction, how this interaction is affected by the cell cycle and how it has evolved in fungal species.
In a third project, we are studying how two evolutionarily conserved DNA binding proteins, Fkh1 and Fkh2, regulate the cell cycle, silencing and a form of pseudohyphal differentiation associated with pathogenic yeast. Interestingly, Fkh proteins have roles in early development, cell-cycle progression and genetic diseases in humans. Studies in yeast should reveal insights by which these proteins function in humans.
Publications of Note
Hollenhorst PC, Bose ME, Mielke MR, Muller U, and CA Fox. 2000 Forkhead genes in transcriptional silencing, cell morphology, and the cell cycle: Overlapping and distinct roles for FKH1 and FKH2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 154:1533-1548
Gardner, KA and CA Fox. 2001. The Sir1 protein's association with a silenced chromosome domain. Genes & Dev. 15:147-157.
Georgel, PT, DeBeer, Palacios MA, Pietz, G, Fox, CA and JC Hansen. 2001. Sir3-dependent assembly of supramolecular chromatin structures in vitro. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 98: 8584-8589.
Hollenhorst, PC, Pietz, G and CA Fox. 2001. Mechanisms controlling differential promoter-occupancy by the forkhead proteins Fkh1p and Fkh2p: implications for regulating the cell cycle and differentiation. Genes & Dev. 15: 2445-2456.
DeBeer, Palacios, MA, Muller U and CA Fox. 2003. Differential DNA affinity specifies the activity of the origin recognition complex in budding yeast heterochromatin. Genes & Dev. 17: 1817-1822.
Sharp, JA, Krawitz, DC, Gardner KA, Fox CA, and PD Kaufman. 2003. The budding yeast silencing protein Sir1 is a functional component of centromeric chromatin. Genes & Dev. 17:2356-2361.
Weinreich, M., DeBeer, Palacios, M.A., and C.A. Fox. The activities of eukaryotic replication origins in chromatin. Biochemica et Biophysica Acta 1677: 142-157.
Bose, M. E., McConnell, K.H., Gardner K.A., Weinreich, M., Keck J.L., Muller U. and C. A. Fox. 2004. The Origin Recognition Complex and Sir4 protein recruit Sir1p to yeast silent chromatin through independent interactions requiring a common Sir1p domain. Mol. Cell. Biol. 24: 774-86.
Fox, C. A and K.H. McConnell. 2005.Towards a biochemical description of a silent chromatin domain in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Journal of Biological Chemistry, in press
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University
of Wisconsin - Department
of Biomolecular Chemistry
First published: 01/01/05 Last updated:
1/18/05 Email Biomolecular Chemistry
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