Molecular Genetics – MG

Topics

• Molecular mechanisms of assembly, functions, silencing, and activation of chromosomes, centromeres, euchromatin, heterochromatin and telomeres.
• Molecular mechanisms of chromatin assembly, structure, function, domains, remodeling, chromatin regulators, epigenetic controls, epigenetic inheritance processes, and DNA and histone modifications.
• Genome organization: higher order chromatin assembly and structure, long-range chromatin interactions, chromatin dynamics, epigenetic regulation of chromatin structure.
• DNA Metabolism, including mechanisms of DNA replication, recombination, DNA damage and repair, checkpoint regulation; maintenance of genome stability; mobile genetic elements.
• RNA metabolism, including RNA functions, modifications, processing, decay and turnover as well as RNA splicing, alternative splicing, non-coding RNA synthesis and functions (cellular and extracellular RNA), tRNA functions, and ribonucleoproteins.
• Mechanisms of translation and protein synthesis, including ribosome biogenesis, function, localization, trafficking, skipping, pausing, stalling, and mRNA modification.
• Mechanisms of transcription, including regulatory DNA sequences, transcription factors (protein, RNA and nucleoprotein complexes and including steroid nuclear receptors) and chromatin modulation.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests in bacterial molecular biology with Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology (PCMB). Applications that address these processes in bacteria as model organisms of eukaryotes or emphasize fundamental principles of DNA/RNA metabolism are reviewed in MG. Applications that focus on molecular mechanisms of DNA/RNA metabolism to understand prokaryote biology and physiology are reviewed by PCMB.

There are shared interests in the genomic-scale analysis of processes related to transcription, splicing, epigenetics, DNA replication and repair, and translation with Genomics, Computational Biology and Technology (GCAT). Applications that focus on elucidating the molecular mechanism of these processes are reviewed in MG. Applications that develop and apply novel and emerging technologies to study and catalog these processes at a genomic scale are reviewed in GCAT.

There are shared interests in the areas of RNA biology and protein synthesis with the Cell Structure and Function-1 (CSF-1). Applications that emphasize genetic and molecular biology aspects of RNA metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, and mRNA translation are reviewed in MG.   Applications that focus on ribosome membrane association to understand protein trafficking are reviewed in CSF-1.

There are shared interests in DNA replication, repair and cell cycle with Cellular Signaling and Regulatory Systems (CSRS). Applications that emphasize molecular mechanism of DNA replication or repair are reviewed in MG. Applications studying checkpoint control as a mechanism for cell cycle regulation are reviewed in CSRS.

There are shared interests in DNA damage/repair with Radiation Therapeutics and Biology (RTB). Applications that emphasize fundamental aspects of DNA repair with no direct studies of cancer are reviewed in MG. Applications that emphasize investigations of mechanisms of DNA damage/repair and combination of radiation with novel agents, such as targeting growth factors, signaling pathways, DNA repair, and tumor angiogenesis, are reviewed in RTB.

There are shared interests in mechanisms of genetic regulation with Macromolecular Structure and Function B (MSFB). Applications that emphasize biological mechanisms and implications of these for cellular processes are reviewed in MG. Applications involving studies of RNA, DNA and smaller component protein-nucleic acid complexes where the focus is primarily directed toward structure-function properties and biophysical interactions of components that establish molecular bases for DNA- and RNA-driven cellular processes are reviewed in MSFB.

There are shared interests with Gene Regulation in Cancer (GRIC) in the areas of transcriptional regulation and epigenetics. Applications that focus on gene regulation in cancer development may be reviewed in GRIC. Applications that focus on the use cancer cells as a model to understand basic mechanisms of gene regulation may be reviewed in MG. 

There are shared interests with the Molecular and Structural Immunology (MSI) in the areas of gene regulation and expression. Applications that focus mainly on genetics, gene regulation, histone regulation and control, and epigenetics may be reviewed in MG, whereas applications that focus is on the immunological outcome of such studies may be reviewed in MSI.