Mukulika Ray

Abstract Advanced genomic technologies have generated thousands of Protein-Nucleic acid binding datasets that have the potential to identify testable gene regulatory network (GRNs) models governed by combinatorial associations between factors. Transcription factors (TFs) and RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are nucleic-acid binding proteins regulating gene expression and are key drivers of GRN function.

Abstract Despite decades of research, mechanisms by which co-transcriptional alternative splicing events are targeted to the correct genomic locations to drive cell fate decisions remain unknown. By combining structural and molecular approaches, we define a new mechanism by which an essential transcription factor (TF) targets co-transcriptional splicing through physical and functional interaction with RNA and RNA binding proteins (RBPs).

Abstract In order to survive when exposed to heat stress (HS), organisms activate stress response genes and repress constitutive gene expression to prevent the accumulation of potentially toxic RNA and protein products. Although many studies have elucidated the mechanisms that drive HS-induced activation of stress response genes across species, little is known about repression mechanisms or how genes are targeted for activation versus repression context-specifically.