Brian Morgan - Overview
My laboratory studies the regulation of the oxidative
stress response and the regulation of the cell division cycle in eukaryotes.
Specifically, we are investigating the regulation of gene expression important
for these cellular events and exploring the signal transduction pathways
which regulate this gene expression. We use the budding yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as model organisms
to study these regulatory mechanisms as many aspects of these cellular
processes are conserved in all eukaryotes.
Current main project areas :
1) The regulation of the oxidative stress response in eukaryotes
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are responsible for oxidative stress by
causing damage to DNA, lipids and proteins. ROS are a normal by-product
of respiration but are also produced by a wide range of environmental
chemicals and radiation. The importance of oxidative stress is emphasised
by its implication in a wide range of diseases including, for example,
cancer, Down's syndrome and certain neurodegenerative diseases, and also
in the ageing process. However, despite the importance of oxidative stress
in disease, relatively little is known regarding the signal transduction
pathways and transcription factors responsible for the cellular response
to this harmful stress.
Current projects focus on the characterisation of
the sensing mechanisms, and the regulation of the transcription factors,
important for the cellular response to oxidative stress in S. cerevisiae
and S. pombe. We are also investigating a 'two-component'-like phospho-relay
signalling pathway in S. pombe that responds specifically to oxidative
stress and directly regulates the Sty1 stress-activated MAP kinase cascade
(Janet Quinn and Brian Morgan).
2) The regulation of the cell division cycle in eukaryotes
An important element of the regulation of the cell division cycle is to
limit the expression and stability of key cell cycle controllers, such
as cyclins, to the times that they are required. Hence, the regulation
of gene expression during the cell division cycle has an important part
to play in cell cycle progression. One group of proteins implicated in
cell cycle control consists of forkhead transcription factors. In mammals
forkhead transcription factors function in embryogenesis and development,
and are involved in the development of certain cancers. Recent studies
by my laboratory and others have shown that forkhead proteins are involved
in the regulation of gene expression during the cell division cycle in
budding yeast. Current projects utilise the yeast S. cerevisiae and S. pombe as model organisms to investigate the mechanisms underlying the
regulation of forkhead transcription factors during the cell division
cycle.
