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The in vivo examination of transcriptional control mechanisms in mammalian cells

Citation

Garrity, Paul Allen (1993) The in vivo examination of transcriptional control mechanisms in mammalian cells. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/kt02-n508. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:12112012-085623512

Abstract

In the investigations described in this thesis I have examined various mechanisms involved in transcriptional control. The first chapter is a general examination of the mechanisms used in transcriptional control. The second chapter addresses issues associated with the selection of transcriptional start site. This work shows that core promoter usage can be altered in a tissue specific and environmentally-responsive manner. The third chapter of this work describes a significant improvement in the technique of ligation mediated PCR-aided in vivo footprinting and genomic sequencing. This improvement in the quality of in vivo footprint data allows the pattern of protein : DNA interactions to be obtained with greater signal to noise and for a larger group of DNA sequences. The fourth chapter of this thesis uses these in vivo footprinting techniques to investigate the mechanisms controlling the transcription of the mouse interleukin-2 gene upon T cell stimulation. T cell stimulation was shown to result in the coordinated occupancy of a number of major groove binding proteins to the previously unoccupied IL-2 regulatory region in vivo. Finally, the appendix describes in vivo footprints at the differentiated-muscle-specific promoter of the delta-subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Multiple protein : DNA interactions were seen at the promoter both before and after muscle cell differentiation, suggesting that transcriptional regulation of this gene occurs at the level of protein replacement or an alteration of the ability of the assembled proteins to activate transcription.

Item Type:Thesis (Dissertation (Ph.D.))
Subject Keywords:Biology
Degree Grantor:California Institute of Technology
Division:Biology
Major Option:Biology
Thesis Availability:Public (worldwide access)
Research Advisor(s):
  • Wold, Barbara J.
Thesis Committee:
  • Anderson, David J.
  • Davidson, Norman R.
  • Rothenberg, Ellen V.
  • Sternberg, Paul W.
  • Zinn, Kai George
Defense Date:16 December 1992
Record Number:CaltechTHESIS:12112012-085623512
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:12112012-085623512
DOI:10.7907/kt02-n508
Default Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:7324
Collection:CaltechTHESIS
Deposited By: Benjamin Perez
Deposited On:11 Dec 2012 17:53
Last Modified:08 Nov 2023 00:36

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