Name: Olga A. Ivanova
Diploma / M.Sc degree: Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
(June 2003)
Title: Interaction of The Myb Transcription Factor With Cell-Specific Cis-Regulatory DNA Elements

Abstract of Research Project

Transcription regulation in eukaryotes is a very complicated process. It has to provide tissue, cell- and stagespecific expression of a number of genes. Cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors are involved in this process. Cis-regulatory elements are specific DNA sequences which contain binding sites for trans-acting factors - various proteins, which activate or repress the expression of genes. The Myb transcription factor plays an essential role in the regulatory mechanism that keeps the balance between proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in the hematopoietic system.

A number of genes have been identified as targets of Myb. Among them is the lysozyme gene. The chicken lysozyme gene is a well-studied marker gene for the myeloid lineage of the hematopoietic system. It is known, that lysozyme gene expression in myeloid cells is controlled by at least five cis-regulatory elements, but the exact roles of the Myb and other transcription factors in the regulation of the lysozyme gene are still unclear. The aim of this project is to elucidate the functional importance of Myb and other transcription factors in the regulation of gene expression at the cis-regulatory DNA elements of chicken lysozyme gene.



eMail: Olga A. Ivanova