Post-transcriptional responses to cellular stresses by growth factor receptor genes

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Regulatory elements in the untranslated regions of messenger RNAs allow post-transcriptional responses to cellular stresses and other stimuli. This type of regulation allows cells to respond to stresses, but can also be linked with inappropriate gene expression and disease. However, a better understanding of the regulation of genes associated with disease also allows us to identify novel drug targets and to design improved therapies for proliferative disease. The principle hypothesis is that genes required in the response to cell stresses will be immune to the downregulation of gene expression that typically accompanies cell stresses. This project will use a combination of bioinformatic and laboratory tools to investigate how the EGFR/ErbB/HER family of growth factor receptors respond to cell stresses. The genes for these growth factor receptors will be cloned and used in a combination of reporter assays and mutational analyses to identify regulatory elements.