Regulation of cell proliferation is likely to be a complex process involving the coordinate expression of discrete genes. In the prospects of identifying the genetic elements involved in controlling cell proliferation, this laboratory is focusing on the regulatory events that arrest the proliferation of dividing cells and restore them to the quiescent state. The approach being taken in our research is to apply recombinant DNA technology to examine changes in gene expression associated with the arrest of proliferation induced by the growth antagonist interferon. This effort has resulted in the identification of several potential "antiproliferative" genes that have now been characterized.

Recent evidence from our laboratory suggests that the antiproliferative genes work in concert with changes in the cellular redox potentials to profoundly influence signalling pathways that activate or deactivate genes. Consequently, a major emphasis of our current research is the molecular characterizion of the nature of these alterations in the cellular signalling pathways and relating them to changes in cell growth.

RESEARCH FUNDING:

Current funding is from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Previous funding has included grants from the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

1. Hutter, D.E. Till, B.G. and Greene, J.J. Redox state changes in density-dependent regulation of proliferation. Exp. Cell Res. 232: 435-438, 1997.
2. Greene, J.J. and Rao, V. (editors). Recombinant DNA Methodology: Principles and Methodology. Marcel Dekker, New York, NY. 1998.
3. Kelly EP, Greene JJ, King AD, Innis BL. Purified dengue 2 virus envelope glycoprotein aggregates produced by baculovirus are immunogenic in mice.  Vaccine 18:45-52, 2000.
4. Moussazadeh, M. and Greene J.J. Redox regulation of casein kinase II
   autophosphorylation and its effect on jun-DNA binding. Cell. Mol. Biol.  46:1265-1275480, 2000.
5. Hutter, D. and Greene, J.J. Influence of the cellular redox state on the NF-?B regulated gene expression. J. Cellular Physiol. 183:45-42, 2000.