Biomedical Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Program
(B-SURE)
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA)
McEWEN, Donald
G. (Biochemistry and Children's Cancer Research Institute):
The balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and death is strictly
regulated during metazoan development. Genetic or epigenetic disruption
of this balance has severe consequences, including both degenerative and
hyper-proliferative diseases. To understand the mechanistic basis whereby
cells balance these processes, I utilize Drosophila as a simple
model system to study evolutionarily conserved cell signaling pathways.
Currently,
I am characterizing the regulatory network surrounding the evolutionarily
conserved Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. This signaling
cascade is critical for the induction of programmed cell death in response
to stress and can be co-opted during oncogenesis. Current projects include
characterizing functional interactions between JNK and p53 (the most frequently
mutated gene associated with cancer), a genetic screen to identify
other genes that suppressed JNK-mediated overgrowth, and biochemical analysis
of puckered, a JNK-specific antagonist.
Donald
G. McEwen's Web Page at CCRI.
A collection of images drawn from the exploration of signaling
and regulatory pathways in Drosophila.
