The regulation of gene expression by specific DNA-binding transcription factors is critical for many developmental and physiological processes. Transcription factors interact physically and functionally with coactivators (or co-repressors) and the RNA polymerase II machinery to enhance (or repress) tissue- and signal-specific gene transcription following binding to their target promoters or enhancers (or repressor/silencing elements). The long-term objective of my present and future research is to study the mechanisms by which signal transduction pathways and gene regulation control cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, death and disease.

17. Acute myeloid leukemia-associated Mkl1 (Mrtf-a) is a key regulator of mammary gland function, Yi Sun, Kelli Boyd, Wu Xu, Jing Ma, Carl Jackson, Amina Fu, Jonathan M. Shillingford, Lothar Hennighausen, Zhigui Ma and Stephan W. Morris, Molecular and Cellular Biology15:5809-5826 (2006)

16. Global transcriptional coactivators CREB-binding protein and p300 are essential for mouse B-cells in vivo, Wu Xu, Tomofusa Fukuyama, Paul Ney, Demin Wang, Jerold Rehg, Kelli Boyd, Jan M.A. van Deursen, and Paul K. Brindle, Blood107(11):4407-4416 (2006)

15. Two transactivation mechanisms cooperate for the bulk of HIF-1-responsive gene expression, Lawryn H. Kasper, Fayçal Boussouar, Kelli Boyd, Wu Xu, Michelle Biesen, Jerold Rehg, Troy A. Baudino1, John L. Cleveland, and Paul K. Brindle, The EMBO Journal24:3846-3858 (2005)

14. The CREB Coactivator TORC2 is a Key Regulator of Fasting Glucose Metabolism, Seung-Hoi Koo, Lawrence Flechner, Ling Qi, Xinmin Zhang, Robert A. Screaton, Shawn Jeffries, Susan Hedrick, Wu Xu, Fayçal Boussouar, Paul Brindle, Hiroshi Takemori, and Marc Montminy, Nature437:1109-1114 (2005)

13. Asymmetric electron transfer in cyanobacterial Photosystem I: charge separation and secondary electron transfer dynamics of mutations near the primary electron acceptor A 0, Naranbaatar Dashdorj, Wu Xu, Rachel O. Cohen, John H. Golbeck and Sergei Savikhin, Biophysical Journal88:1238-49 (2005)

12. Loss of CBP causes T cell lymphomagenesis in synergy with p27 Kip1 insufficiency, Ningling Kang-Decker, Caili Tong, Fayçal Boussouar, Darren J. Baker, Wu Xu, Alexey A. Leontovich, William R. Taylor, Paul K. Brindle and Jan M. A. van Deursen, Cancer Cell5:177-189 (2004)

11. Electrochromic shift of chlorophyll absorption in photosystem I from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: a probe of optical and dielectric properties around the secondary electron acceptor, Naranbaatar Dashdorj, Wu Xu, Peter Martinsson, Parag R. Chitnis, and Sergei Savikhin, Biophysical Journal86:3121-3130 (2004)

10. Evidence for Asymmetric Electron Transfer in Cyanobacterial Photosystem I: Analysis of a Methionine to Leucine Mutation of the Ligand to the Primary Electron Acceptor A 0, Rachel O. Cohen, Gaozhong Shen, John H. Golbeck, Wu Xu, Parag Chitnis, Alfia Valieva, Art van der Est, Yulia Pushkar, and Dietmar Stehlik, Biochemistry43:4741-4754 (2004)

9. Electron Transfer in Cyanobacterial Photosystem I: II. Determination of Forward Electron Transfer Rates of Site-directed Mutants in a Putative Electron Transfer Pathway from A 0 through A 1 to F X, Wu Xu, Parag R. Chitnis, Alfia Valieva, Art van der Est, Klaus Brettel, Mariana Guergova-Kuras, Yulia N. Pushkar, Stephan G. Zech, Dietmar Stehlik,Gaozhong Shen, Boris Zybailov, and John H. Golbeck, The Journal of Biological Chemistry278:27876-27887 (2003)

8. Electron Transfer in Cyanobacterial Photosystem I: I. Physiological and Spectroscopic Characterization of Site-directed Mutants in a Putative Electron Transfer Pathway from A 0 through A 1 to F X, Wu Xu, Parag Chitnis, Alfia Valieva, Art van der Est, Yulia N. Pushkar ,Maciej Krzystyniak, Christian Teutloff, Stephan G. Zech, Robert Bittl, Dietmar Stehlik, Boris Zybailov, Gaozhong Shen, and John H. Golbeck, The Journal of Biological Chemistry278:27864-27875 (2003)

7. The Two Histidine Axial Ligands of the Primary Electron Donor Chlorophylls (P700) in Photosystem I Are Similarly Perturbed Upon P700 + Formation, Jacques Breton, Wu Xu, Bruce A. Diner, and Parag R. Chitnis, Biochemistry41:11200-11210 (2002)

6. Proteins of the Cyanobacterial Photosystem I, Wu Xu, Huadong Tang, Yingchun Wang and Parag R Chitnis, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta1507:32-40 (2001) Review Article

5. Kinetics of Charge Separation and A 0 - A 1 Electron Transfer in Photosystem I Reaction Center, Sergei Savikhin, Wu Xu, Peter Martinsson, Parag R. Chitnis, and Walter S. Struve, Biochemistry40:9282 -9290 (2001)

4. Ultrafast Primary Processes in PS I from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: Roles of P700 and A 0, Sergei Savikhin, Wu Xu, Parag R. Chitnis, and Walter S. Struve,Biophysical Journal79:1573-1586 (2000)

3. Ultrafast Primary Processes in Photosystem I of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Sergei Savikhin, Wu Xu, Victor Soukoulis, Parag R. Chitnis, and Walter S. Struve, Biophysical Journal76:3278-3288 (1999)

2. Oxidizing Side of the Cyanobacterial Photosystem I. Evidence For Interaction Between The Electron Donor Proteins And A Luminal Surface Helix Of The PsaB Subunit, Jun Sun, Wu Xu, Manuel Hervás, José A. Navarro, Miguel A. De La Rosa, and Parag R. Chitnis, The Journal of Biological Chemistry274:19048-19054, (1999)

1. Electronic Spectra of PS I Mutants: The Peripheral Subunits Do Not Bind Red Chlorophylls in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Victor Soukoulis, Sergei Savikhin, Wu Xu, Parag R. Chitnis, and Walter S. Struve, Biophysical Journal76:2711-2715 (1999)