Jon Michael Underwood

Specific Aims:

• Define cell cycle kinetics after induction of eIF4E expression in quiescent fibroblasts harboring a mifipristone inducible eIF4E construct.
• Determine which transcripts encoding cell cycle regulators are recruited to polyribosomes when ectopic eIF4E triggers cell cycle entry, and quantify the abundance and activity of the corresponding cell cycle regulatory proteins.
• Use novel nucleoside-based eIF4E antagonists to define the relationships among eIF4E activity, cap-dependent protein synthesis, recruitment of transcripts encoding specific cell cycle regulators and the kinetics of cell cycle entry.

Presentations and Publications:

Underwood JM.  Translational Control of Cancer.  Poster and presentation, Minority Trainee Research Forum, September 13-16, 2007, Aventura, FL.