Hassan

today we started looking into databases to find regulatory network for MITF, our question is: what does it regulate? if it is fused with cpp, will it effect regulation on any gene in E. Coli?

there are many databases that we need to look for:

- MITF regulates not only the expression of enzymes involved in melanin synthesis, but also the expression of a receptor which plays an essential role in melanocyte functions

- Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) regulates the differentiation and development of melanocytes and retinal pigment epithelium and is also responsible for pigment cell-specific transcription of the melanogenesis enzyme genes. Review.

- MITF and STAT3 cooperatively induce c-fos, resulting in cellular transformation

- The results of this study demonstrate a role for glutamate in MiTF regulation that may have implications in melanocyte associated disorders.

- Sphingosylphosphorylcholine reduces melanin synthesis via MITF downregulation.

- MITF evokes transcription of a paradigmatic MITF target tyrosinase and show that the adenoviral E1A protein represses the MITF-driven transcription in these cells.

and more on http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4286

After talking with Lars about iGEM, he mentioned some databases:

Transfac: transcriptional gene regulation in eukaryotes Consite: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15215389 web-based prediction of regulatory elements using cross-species comparison. Jaspar: JASPAR 2010: the greatly expanded open-access database of transcription factor binding profiles. http://jaspar.cgb.ki.se/

I also found this database which is for prokaryotic PRODORIC: prokaryotic database of gene regulation. link for article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12519998

Mathworks offers several tools for computational biology. Knowing the capabilities of them will help in future estimations.