Anikin Lab

  • Anikin Lab

Anikin Lab

Welcome to the Anikin Lab

Research in the laboratory focuses on mechanisms of transcription as the first stage of gene expression. We study structure-function relationships in the central enzyme involved in transcription, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Our model transcription system is based on the single-subunit RNA polymerase from yeast mitochondria. We assemble active transcription complexes using highly-purified recombinant protein components and synthetic oligonucleotides and employ a combination of biochemical and genetic techniques to elucidate the structural elements of the enzyme that are functionally important during early steps of promoter recognition, transcription initiation and elongation.