Reeves,
Raymond
Mail
Cousres Taught
MBioS 503 Molecular Biology I
MBioS 574 Protein Biotechnology
Research
Interests
The focus of our laboratory is the study of protein-DNA interactions involved with the regulation of gene transcription and DNA repair of genes in normal and cancerous human cells. More specifically, we investigate the molecular mode of action of the HMGA group of non-histone chromatin proteins. The HMGA proteins play a vital role in cell metabolism and have been referred to as the "hubs of nuclear function" because of their involvement in such diverse processes as gene transcription, DNA replication, DNA repair, senescence, apoptosis and integration of retroviruses (such as HIV) into the genome. Furthermore, the HMGA proteins ‘shuttle’ between the nucleus and the mitochondria in a cell cycle dependent manner in normal cells but in a disregulated manner in cancerous cells. Within mitochondria HMGA binds to the D-loop control region of mitochondrial DNA and influences both mitochondrial replication and function thus providing the first example of a nuclear chromatin protein that also participates in regulating the function of a cytoplasmic organelle. And, finally, we and others have also recently demonstrated that the HMGA proteins are causally involved in both the cancerous transformation of normal cells and in the promotion of tumor cells to more malignant states, thus making them attractive targets for new anti-cancer drugs.
Publications
Dement DA, Maloney SC & Reeves R. 2006. Nuclear HMGA1 Nonhistone Chromatin Proteins Directly Influence Mitochondrial Transcription, Replication, and Function. Exp Cell Res. Epub Sept. 23, 2006.
Adair JE, Kwon Y, Dement GA, Smerdon MJ & Reeves R. 2005. Inhibition of nucleotide excision repair by high mobility group protein HMGA1. J Biol Chem. 280: 32184-92.
Reeves R & Adair JE. 2005. Role of high mobility group (HMG) chromatin proteins in DNA repair. DNA Repair (Amst). 4:926-38.
Dement GA, Treff NR, Magnuson NS, Franceschi V& Reeves R. 2005. Dynamic mitochondrial localization of nuclear transcription factor HMGA1. Exp Cell Res. 307:388-401.
Edberg DD, Adkins JN, Springer DL & Reeves R. 2005. Dynamic and differential in vivo modifications of the isoform HMGA1a and HMGA1b chromatin proteins. J Biol Chem. 280:8961-73.
Edberg DD, Bruce JE, Siems WF & Reeves R. 2004. In vivo posttranslational modifications of the high mobility group A1a proteins in breast cancer cells of differing metastatic potential. Biochem.43: 11500-15.
Reeves R. 2004. HMGA proteins: isolation, biochemical modifications, and nucleosome interactions. Methods Enzymol. 75:297-322 |
