p38γ is essential for cell cycle progression and liver tumorigenesis.

The cell cycle is a tightly regulated process that is controlled by the conserved cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-cyclin protein complex. However, control of the G0-to-G1 transition is not completely understood. Here we demonstrate that p38 MAPK gamma (p38γ) acts as a CDK-like kinase and thus cooperates with CDKs, regulating entry into the cell cycle.

TC-PTP regulates the IL-7 transcriptional response during murine early T cell development.

Cytokines play a critical role in directing the discrete and gradual transcriptional changes that define T cell development. The interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R), via its activation of the JAK-STAT pathway, promotes gene programs that change dynamically as cells progress through T cell differentiation. The molecular mechanism(s) directing differential gene expression downstream of the IL-7R are not fully elucidated.

Predicting conformational ensembles and genome-wide transcription factor binding sites from DNA sequences.

DNA shape is emerging as an important determinant of transcription factor binding beyond just the DNA sequence. The only tool for large scale DNA shape estimates, DNAshape was derived from Monte-Carlo simulations and predicts four broad and static DNA shape features, Propeller twist, Helical twist, Minor groove width and Roll. The contributions of other shape features e.

A Drosophila-centric view of protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Most of our knowledge on protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) is derived from human pathologies and mouse knockout models. These models largely correlate well with human disease phenotypes, but can be ambiguous due to compensatory mechanisms introduced by paralogous genes. Here we present the analysis of the PTP complement of the fruit fly and the complementary view that PTP studies in Drosophila will accelerate our understanding of PTPs in physiological and pathological conditions.