Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cellular Biology
Cell, Molecularand Developmental Biology
dmitry.nurminskyi@tufts.edu

Our laboratory is involved in studies of protein-DNA interactions that regulate gene expression, including general controlled changes in chromatin structure, and specific promoter interactions with transcription factors. As the model system for this study, we use Drosophila spermatogenesis. Transcriptional activation in primary spermatocytes involves a large number of genes and apparently includes both chromatin remodeling and deployment of tissue specific transcription factors. The mechanisms of transcriptional activation warrant detailed analysis, as this will provide a tool for studies of male fertility and, ultimately, for manipulation of gene expression in spermatogenesis. The information available on the mechanisms of gene regulation in primary spermatocytes of mammals is limited. In contrast, a wealth of relevant background information is available on Drosophila, thus making it an invaluable model. The remarkable similarity of spermatogenesis between Drosophila and mammals implies that the results will be applicable to the mammaliansystem.

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