Allen Laughon
Professor of Genetics and Medical Genetics
Ph.D., University of Utah, 1983
Postdoctoral Research: University of Colorado, Boulder
Address: 3432 Genetics/Biotech
Telephone: 262-2456
E-mail: alaughon@wisc.edu
Research Interests:
Regulatory mechanisms of TGF-beta signal transduction pathways
Research Fields:
Drosophila
Gene Expression
Research Description: We study mechanisms by which TGFbeta signaling pathways control pattern formation. The focus is on Smad proteins, transcription factors that shuttle from cytoplasm to nucleus in response to TGFbeta cytokines. Our past work has shown that Smads bind to target DNAs by means of a conserved amino-terminal domain and that Smad targets in Drosophila are regulated negatively by Brinker. We are currently investigating mechanisms by which Smads repress transcription.
Representative Publications:
Cai, Y. and Laughon, A. 2009. The Drosophila Smad cofactor Schnurri engages in redundant and synergistic interactions with multiple corepressors. Biochim Biophys. Acta, 1789, 232-245.
Gao, S. and Laughon, A. 2007. Flexible interation of Drosophila Smad complexes with bipartite binding sites. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1769:484-496.
Gao, S. and Laughon, A. 2006. Decapentaplegic-responsive silencers contain overlapping Mad-binding sites. J. Biol. Chem. 281:25781-25790.
Gao, S., Steffens, J. and Laughon, A. 2005. Dpp-Responsive Silencers are Bound by a Trimeric Mad-Med Complex. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 36158-36164.
Professor of Genetics and Medical Genetics
Ph.D., University of Utah, 1983
Postdoctoral Research: University of Colorado, Boulder
Address: 3432 Genetics/Biotech
Telephone: 262-2456
E-mail: alaughon@wisc.edu
Research Interests:
Regulatory mechanisms of TGF-beta signal transduction pathways
Research Fields:
Drosophila
Gene Expression
We study mechanisms by which TGFbeta signaling pathways control pattern formation. The focus is on Smad proteins, transcription factors that shuttle from cytoplasm to nucleus in response to TGFbeta cytokines. Our past work has shown that Smads bind to target DNAs by means of a conserved amino-terminal domain and that Smad targets in Drosophila are regulated negatively by Brinker. We are currently investigating mechanisms by which Smads repress transcription.
Cai, Y. and Laughon, A. 2009. The Drosophila Smad cofactor Schnurri engages in redundant and synergistic interactions with multiple corepressors. Biochim Biophys. Acta, 1789, 232-245.
Gao, S. and Laughon, A. 2007. Flexible interation of Drosophila Smad complexes with bipartite binding sites. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1769:484-496.
