Investigators and Program Directors

Research Interests

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Our laboratory studies the biology of introns, dynamic sequences that interrupt genes and therefore disrupt the flow of genetic information. Our work runs the gamut from answering fundamental questions about intron function and how they are removed to preserve genetic integrity, through how introns might have evolved, to ways in which they could be exploited in biotechnology. Small non-coding RNAs are another interest of our laboratory.

Introns exist in almost all life forms, from simple bacteria such as E. coli to more complex species, including humans. Our studies are based on the discovery at Wadsworth Center some 25 years ago that, contrary to then current dogma, introns exist in organisms without nuclei. The conservation of introns across species allows their study in model organisms, with the attendant advantages of rapid and refined experimentation.

The Belfort laboratory investigates several types of introns with two properties in common. First, they are removed at the level of the RNA by a process called splicing. The intron RNAs are self-splicing; they are themselves the enzymes, called ribozymes, that catalyze splicing. Second, the introns also can move at the level of the DNA, acting as mobile genetic elements. Both the RNA splicing and the DNA mobility mechanisms are examined, as are the proteins that assist these reactions. These studies are based on genetic and biochemical analyses, as well as collaborative structural approaches involving X-ray crystallography and NMR. Dr. Belfort has elucidated the different molecular pathways whereby introns splice and move by recruiting proteins of unusual structure and function. This work led to the discovery that some introns resemble retrotransposons, a finding that raises the possibility of their use as delivery vehicles for gene therapy. Her investigations have also posed evolutionary questions and shed light on the origin and persistence of mobile introns.

Unraveling the structure and function of inteins, a type of intervening sequence that is remarkable for splicing at the protein level, is another focus of the Belfort laboratory. Their practical applications are being explored, too, and Dr. Belfort holds patents for the use of both introns and inteins in biotechnology. Both elements can be used to facilitate protein purification, while inteins, which are found in critical genes of human microbial pathogens, are promising targets for development of novel antibiotics.

Contact Information

Phone: (518) 473-3345
Fax: (518) 474-3181
E-mail: belfort@wadsworth.org