Faculty

Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Faculty.

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Contact Information

University Of Illinois at Chicago

Dept. Of Biochemistry and

Molecular Genetics

900 S. Ashland (M/C 669)
Chicago, IL 60607
tel: 312-996-7670
fax: 312-413-0353

Dr. Robert V. Storti

rvstorti@uic.edu

Major Interests:

Our research is directed towards an understanding at the molecular level of the developmental mechanisms involved in early embryonic development leading to tissue-specific differentiation.

A major research focus of the lab has been involved with studying the tropomyosin genes (Tm) of Drosophila. Drosophila is a particularly good system for studying early developmental events. The guiding principle behind these studies has been to dissect the cis-acting control elements regulating muscle expression and identify the trans-acting factors that recognize these elements and thus regulate muscle gene expression. In so doing, it is anticipated that the genes encoding these regulatory factors will be genes important in early myogenic determination and regulation. Recent results of these experiments have allowed us to characterize the function of enhancer regions in both genes that contain multiple positive and negative regulators of muscle and non-muscle expression.


Dr. Robert V. Storti, Professor Emeritus PhD, Indiana University Postdoctoral, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

We are in the process of identifying and isolating trans-acting factors that interact with these control regions and have recently identified and characterized two genes involved in regulating tropomyosin expression. One of these is the Drosophila homologue of the vertebrate muscle transcription factor MEF2 and the second is a novel transcription factor that we named Pdp1 (Par domain protein 1). Pdp1 is expressed in many embryonic and larval tissues. We have screened for mutations in Pdp1and null mutations in Pdp1 affect larval growth, circadian rhythm, and cell replication. We are currently attempting to define the role of Pdp1 in these processes.

Selected Publications:

Lin M-H, Bour B, Abmyer S, and Storti RV (1997): Ectopic expression of MEF2 in the epidermis induces epidermal expression of muscle genes and abnormal muscle development in Drosophila. Devel Biol. 182:240-255.

Lin S-C and Storti RV (1997). The Drosophila tropomyosin I (TmI) gene muscle enhancer is regulated by a muscle activator region that contains multiple cis-elements and binding sites for multiple proteins. Devel Genetics. 20:297-306.

Lin S-C, Lin M-H, Horváth P, Reddy K, and Storti RV (1997): PDP1, a novel PAR domain b-ZIP transcription factor expressed in developing mesoderm, endoderm and ectoderm, is a transcriptional regulator of somatic muscle genes. Development. 124:4685-4696.

Lin, M-H., Nguyen, H., Dybala, C., and Storti, R.V. (1996). Myocyte-Specific Enhancer Factor 2 Acts Cooperatively With a Muscle Activator Region to Regulate Drosophila Tropomyosin Gene Muscle Expression. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 4623-4628.

Lin, M-H., Bour, B., Abmyer,S., and Storti, R.V. (1997). Ectopic Expression of MEF2 in the Epidermis Induces Epidermal Expression of Muscle Genes and Abnormal Muscle Development in Drosophila. Devel. Biol. 182, 240-255.

Lin, S-C. and Storti, R.V. (1997). The Drosophila Tropomyosin I (TmI) Gene Muscle Enhancer is Regulated by a Muscle Activator Region that Contains Multiple Cis-Elements and Binding Sites for Multiple Proteins. Devel. Genetics 20, 297-306.

Lin, S-C., Lin, M-H., Horváth, P., Reddy, K., and Storti, R.V. (1998). PDP1, a Novel PAR Domain b-ZIP Transcription Factor Expressed in Developing Mesoderm, Endoderm and Ectoderm, is a Transcriptional Regulator of Somatic Muscle Genes. Development 124, 4685-4696.

Reddy, K.L., Wohlwill A., Dzitoeva,S., Lin, S-C., Holbrook, S., and Storti, R.V.(2000). The Drosophila Pdp1 (PAR Domain Protein 1) Gene Encodes Multiple Differentially Expressed mRNAs and Proteins Through the Use of Multiple Enhancers and Promoters. Devel. Biol., 224, 401-414.

Cyran, S.A., Buchsbaum, A.M., Lon, M., Reddy, K.L., Lee, D.H., Storti, R.V., and Blau, J. (2002). Dclock, vrille and Pdp1 form a second feedback loop in the Drosophila circadian clock.