Steven J. Triezenberg Professor (on leave)
Current position:
Dean of the Graduate School,
Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI

B.S. 1979, Calvin College
Ph.D. 1984, The University of Michigan
Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow, 1984-87, Carnegie Institution of Washington
MSU Teacher-Scholar Award, 1993
NIH Research Career Development Award, 1994-99
Distinguished Faculty Award, College of Human Medicine, 1996

steve.triezenberg@vai.org
Van Andel Institute
333 Bostwick. N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Office: 616-234-5704
Lab: 616-234-5109

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Steven J. Triezenberg

Research Interests

The question that drives the research in this laboratory is how the expression of genes in eukaryotic cells is regulated. In particular, we focus on the mechanisms whereby transcription of protein-encoding genes (that is, the synthesis of mRNA) is activated by a regulatory protein.
One model system for much of our work utilizes a transcriptional activator protein from herpes simplex virus, a nearly ubiquitous human pathogen. This activator, termed VP16, stimulates transcription of the first viral genes to be expressed during an infection, and thus triggers the entire cascade of viral gene expression and replication that eventually leads to the production and release of new virus. The transcriptional activation domain of VP16 is exceptionally potent, can function when fused to many other DNA-binding proteins, and is capable of activating transcription in mammalian, yeast, insect, and plant cells. This versatility and potency has made VP16 an important model for many investigations into mechanisms of transcriptional activation.

To explore the structure and function of the VP16 activation domain, we have generated many mutations throughout this domain and have tested the altered proteins in genetic and biochemical assays of transcription. Among the surprising results of our work are the observations that this domain actually comprises two subdomains, each capable of independent activity. MORE

Recent Publications

S.B. Kutluay, J. Doroghazi, M.E. Roemer, and S.J. Triezenberg. Curcumin inhibits herpes simplex virus immediate-early gene expression by a mechanism independent of p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase activity. Virology 373:239-247 (2008).

D.D.Shooltz, G.L. Alberts, and S.J. Triezenberg. One-step affinity purification of recombinant TATA binding proteins utilizing a modular protein interaction partner. Protein Expression and Purification 59:297-301 (2008).

Mao Y, Pavangadkar KA, Thomashow MF, Triezenberg SJ. Physical and functional interactions of Arabidopsis ADA2 transcriptional coactivator proteins with the acetyltransferase GCN5 and with the cold-induced transcription factor CBF1. Biochim Biophys Acta. Jan-Feb;1759(1-2):69-79 (2006).

Ottosen S, Herrera FJ, Doroghazi JR, Hull A, Mittal S, Lane WS, Triezenberg SJ. Phosphorylation of the VP16 transcriptional activator protein during herpes simplex virus infection and mutational analysis of putative phosphorylation sites. Virology. 345:468-481 (2005).

Wang Z, Triezenberg SJ, Thomashow MF, Stockinger EJ. Multiple hydrophobic motifs in Arabidopsis CBF1 COOH-terminus provide functional redundancy in trans-activation. Plant Mol Biol. Jul;58(4):543-59 (2005).

J.L. Stebbins and S.J. Triezenberg. Identification, mutational analysis and coactivator requirements of two distinct transcriptional activation domains of the yeast Hap4 protein. Eukaryotic Cell 3: 339-347 (2004).

Y.A. Nedialkov and S.J. Triezenberg. Quantitative assessment of in vitro interactions implicates TATA-binding protein as a target of the VP16C transcriptional activation region. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 425:77-86 (2004).

F. J. Herrera and S.J. Triezenberg. VP16-dependent association of chromatin-modifying coactivators and underrepresentation of histones at immediate-early promoters during herpes simplex virus infection. J. Virol.78: 9689-9696 (2004).

Herrera, F.J., Shooltz, D.D., and S. J. Triezenberg. Mechanisms of transcriptional activation in eukaryotes. Handbook Exp. Pharm. 166:3-31 (2004).

Herrera, F.J., and S.J. Triezenberg. What ubiquitin can do for transcription (commentary). Current Biol 14:R622-R624 (2004). MORE