Grant: Operating Grant

The intestine is an amazing organ. It must absorb nutrients from our diet, act as a barrier to germs we ingest, respond when we get infected but ignore all of the bacteria and food present. Also, the gut is constantly growing, with cells dividing and dying constantly. Thus, it requires a lot of regulation to make sure cells don't start dividing too much, which would result in cancer. Indeed, colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world. In this proposal, we study a novel pathway that regulates intestinal cell growth and death. We have identified a protein called Set7 that chemically modifies other proteins to affect their function. In the case of Set7, it adds a "methyl group" and is thus called a methyltransferase. We have identified the proteins Set7 modifies and it turns out they are critical for normal gut function as well as cancer development. The results of these studies will define new therapeutic targets to potentially treat or prevent colon cancer.