George V. Stauffer, Ph.D.
Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1976 |
Professor of Microbiology Campus address: 3-315A BSB Mailing address: 51 Newton Rd. 3-315A Bowen Science Building Iowa City, IA 52242 Phone: 319-335-7791 Email: |
Molecular Mechanisms Controlling Gene Expression and How Regulatory Events Serve the Needs of the Cell
Our long-term objective is to understand the basic principles of gene regulation. The Escherichia coli glycine cleavage enzyme system (gcvTHP and lpd gene products) provides one-carbon units essential for cellular methylation reactions. This system is under positive and negative control by multiple global-acting (Lrp, CRP and PurR) and gcv-specific (GcvA and GcvR) proteins that interact to coordinate expression of the gcv operon.
However, we have only limited knowledge of the roles played by these proteins in the transcriptional machinery. Using the gcv operon as a model system, we focus on two areas central to understanding gene regulation. The first is the genetic and biochemical description of the molecular mechanisms controlling expression of the operon and how the various components interact. The second is how the various regulatory events serve the overall needs of the cell.
The complexity of this system resembles the multi-component promoters of higher organisms and provides a way to study aspects of a complex problem in a simple system amenable to mechanistic studies. The results will serve as a guide to study even more complex systems and facilitate the emergence of concepts important to transcription in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
Recent publications
Heil, G., L. T. Stauffer, and G. V. Stauffer. 2002. Glycine binds the transcriptional accessory protein GcvR to disrupt a GcvA/GcvR interaction and allow GcvA-mediated activation of the Escherichia coli gcvTHP operon. Microbiology 148:2203-2214.
Ghrist, A. C. G. Heil, and G. V. Stauffer. 2001. GcvR interacts with GcvA to inhibit activation of the Escherichia coli glycine cleavage operon. Microbiology 147:2215-2221.
Urbanowski, M. L., L. T. Stauffer, and G. V. Stauffer. 2000. The gcvB gene encodes a small untranslated RNA involved in expression of the dipeptide and oligopeptide transport systems in Escherichia coli. Molec. Microbiol. 37:856-868.