University of California, Irvine, Department of Biological Sciences, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Our lab is studying the molecular biology and pathogenesis of
retroviruses.
These viruses have been important models for studying gene
expression and cancer.
HIV-1, the causative agent of AIDS, is also a
retrovirus. Historically, we have worked on
Moloney murine leukemia
virus (M-MuLV). Current M-MuLV projects include using enhancer variants
of M-MuLV to study the complex (and multi-step) process of leukemogenesis
in mice, and using M-MuLV
as a system to study cellular chromatin and
chromatin-associated proteins. A second project involves
the use of
MuLV-based retroviral vectors to over-express normal cell proto-oncogenes
in cultured cells.
Proto-oncogene over-expression occurs in some
spontaneous cancers, and we have shown that vectored over-expression
in
cultured cells increases their sensitivity to transformation by chemical
carcinogens.
The molecular mechanisms involved in this are under
investigation. A third project involves
studies of the transactivating
proteins of human T-cell leukemia virus HTLV-I, which causes
adult T-cell
leukemia and HIV-1, which causes AIDS. The transactivating proteins
(tax
and tat respectively) cause high level expression of the viruses in
infected cells, but they
have different mechanisms of action. We are
investigating the mechanisms of action for both tax and tat.
The
resulting information might eventually lead to new antiviral compounds.
Dr. Fan is part of the UCI Graduate Track in
Virology and Cancer Research
within the UCI graduate Program in Molecular
Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry. Applications requests or
additional information about the graduate program may be obtained by
electronic mail at gp-mbgb@uci.edu or by phone at (949) 824-8145.
On-line applications may also be submitted through the Office of
Research and Graduate Studies.
1) Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry
2) Email: gp-mbgb@uci.edu or call (949) 824-8145
3) Graduate Studies Home Page, with links to On-line applications and the
Office of Research and Graduate Studies
To update this Web page, please contact Einstein@uci.edu
