Farrance, Iain K.G., Ph.D. Assistant Professor      108 N. Greene St.      Baltimore, MD 21201      Phone: 410-706-7469      Fax: 410-706-8297      email: ifarr001@umaryland.edu EDUCATION 1982    B.S., Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 1988    Ph.D., Molecular Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA POST GRADUATE EDUCATION 1989 to 1995    Postdoctoral Research, Department of Anatomy, University of                        California, San Francisco, CA.  Sponsor, Charles P. Ordahl. 1995 to 1998    Postgraduate Research, VA medical Center and Cardiovascular                        Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA.                        Sponsor, Paul C. Simpson

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1998 - present   Assistant Professor,   Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.

RESEARCH DESCRIPTION
My research focuses on transcriptional regulation in cardiac and skeletal muscle under normal and diseased conditions. Some of the transcription factors that regulate expression of muscle specific genes have been identified and include the TEF-1, MEF-2, NFAT and myoD families. While the role of individual factors in regulating the expression of gene expression has been grossly determined, how the activity of these factors is regulated to achieve the complex expression patterns seen during muscle development and during disease is still not clear.

Specifically, my laboratory is investigating how members of the TEF-1 transcription factor family and their transcriptional coactivators regulate gene expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle. TEF-1 binding sites are required for the expression of many contractile protein genes in cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle under normal and diseased conditions.  TEF-1 proteins regulate muscle specific gene expression through interactions with other proteins (with other TEF-1 family members, with cofactors, with other types of transcription factors, and with the basal transcriptional machinery). The research in my laboratory focuses on these interactions; how they control muscle development, differentiation and gene expression under normal and diseased conditions. Studies of gene regulation in models of heart disease are especially relevant since heart failure has a very poor prognosis and is a leading cause of death.

ASSOCIATED SITE:   Interdisciplinary Training in Muscle Biology

                                   ******        Classroom Notes and Slides for MBIC 608        ******

LAB PERSONNEL
Melody Francis, B.S., Graduate Student.
Ashley Cephas, B.S., Research Technician

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Mahoney, W.M., Lafferty, M.K. and Farrance, I.K.G. Casein kinase 2 (CK2) interacts with and regulates DNA binding and activity of Transcriptional Enhancer Factor-1 (TEF-1).  In Press.

Mahoney, W.M., Chou, V.B., Yaffe, M.B. and Farrance, I.K.G. The transcriptional co-activator TAZ interacts differentially with Transcriptional Enhancer Factor -1 (TEF-1) family members.  Biochem J.  338, 217-225.

Ma, H., Sumbilla, C., Farrance, I.K.G., Klein, M.G., and Inesi, G. Cell specific expression of exogenous Ca²⁺ transport ATPase (SERCA) in cardiac myocytes. (2004) Amer. J. Physiol. 286, C556-C564.

McLean, B.G., Lee, K.S., Simpson, P.C., and Farrance, I.K.G.  Basal and a₁-adrenergic-induced activity of minimal rat b-MHC promoter in cardiac myocytes requires multiple TEF-1 binding sites but not NFAT binding sites. (2003) J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 35, 461-471.

Mazzulli, M.R., Maeda, T., Farrance, I.K.G., Stewart, A.F.R. Mouse DTEF-1 (ETFR-1, TEF-5) is a transcriptional activator in cardiac myocytes stimulated by a₁-adrenergic agonist.   J. Biol. Chem. (2002) 277, 24346-52.