Patterning Functional Proteins in Ultrabithorax-Based Materials.

The ability to add bioactivities, such as cell signaling or ligand recognition, to biomaterials has generated the potential to include multiple bioactivities into a single material. In some cases, it is desirable to localize these activities to different areas of the biomaterial, creating functional patterns. While photolithography and 3D printing have been effective techniques for patterning functions in many materials, patterning remains a challenge in materials composed of protein, in part due to how these materials are artificially assembled.

Context-dependent HOX transcription factor function in health and disease.

During animal development, HOX transcription factors determine the fate of developing tissues to generate diverse organs and appendages. The power of these proteins is striking: mis-expressing a HOX protein causes homeotic transformation of one body part into another. During development, HOX proteins interpret their cellular context through protein interactions, alternative splicing, and post-translational modifications to regulate cell proliferation, cell death, cell migration, cell differentiation, and angiogenesis.