Molecular mechanisms governing small MAF protein function in mammals

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Transcription factors are important molecules that control whether genes are active or not in a specific cell within an organism. We are interested in the function of the MAFF transcription factor in mammalian cells. In previous studies we have found that signaling molecules called cytokines control MAFF levels in the cell. In recent studies, we showed that the MAFF protein itself is also modified. In addition, we identified a specific gene that is directly controlled by the MAFF transcription factor. This gene plays important roles in a variety of cellular processes as for example the migration of cells. We will use our new knowledge to gain a better understanding of MAFF function. We hypothesize that 1) protein-protein interactions and protein modifications are important to regulate MAFF activity and that 2) In MAFF regulates key processes in the cell by controlling its target genes. We will use a series of molecular and biochemical approaches in combination with cutting edge technology to determine how interactions with other proteins and modifications modulate MAFF transcription factor activity. Furthermore, we will dissect how MAFF controls the expression of genes. Our overall objective is to elucidate the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern transcriptional regulation. Our research is aimed to gain fundamental insights into MAFF transcription factor biology and thus will help to better understand the basic molecular processes that govern cellular function in living organisms.