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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT size=5><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><FONT
face=Arial>Spring 2009 Seminar Series on Computational and Systems
Biology<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><FONT face=Arial>Friday, February
27, 2009<BR></FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><FONT face=Arial>3:00 pm – 4:00
pm<BR></FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><FONT face=Arial>Room
3-270<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><I><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-STYLE: italic; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><FONT
face=Arial>Presenting:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></FONT></I></B></P><FONT
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond">
<P class=MsoTitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><STRONG><FONT
face=Arial>Gene-centered transcription regulatory
networks<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><o:p><FONT
face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face=Arial>Professor Marian Walhout</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face=Arial>Program in Gene Function and Expression and Program in Molecular
Medicine,<BR>University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face=Arial>The differential expression of each of our ~25,000 genes in different
tissues or under different conditions is critical for our proper development and
function. Indeed, changes in differential gene expression caused by mutations in
transcription factors (TFs) or the <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">cis</I>-regulatory genomic DNA elements they
bind to (TF binding sites, or TFBSs) can result in a variety of human diseases,
including several congenital disorders and cancer. In order to fully understand
both normal development and pathologies, and to design effective therapeutics it
is critical to understand which TF regulates the expression of which gene, where
and under which (developmental) conditions. In addition, it is essential to know
the elements each TF binds to and where in the genome these TFBSs are located.
This is a major challenge in genomic science as very little is known about the
targets, binding sites, transcriptional activity and biological function for the
majority of metazoan TFs. We use the nematode <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">C. elegans</I> (worm) as a model to address
this challenge. The <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">C. elegans</I> genome
contains ~20,000 protein-coding genes, 940 of which we predict encode regulatory
TFs. We use gene-centered, rather than TF-centered (<I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">e.g.</I> ChIP), protein-DNA interaction
mapping methods to map transcription regulatory networks. We then integrate
these networks with other networks and data types and analyze how regulatory
networks and their properties relate to healthy as well as pathological system
states. Progress on network mapping and characterization will be
discussed.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT><FONT
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond">Light refreshments
to be served at 2:45 pm<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT><FONT
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond">Host: Alexander van
Oudenaarden, Department of Physics<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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