Elena Denisenko

Citation

Thesis Title
Transcriptional regulation in mouse macrophages: the role of enhancers in macrophage activation and infection

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Macrophages are immune cells essential for tissue homeostasis and organism’s defence against tuberculosis infection and other pathogens. They respond rapidly to changing conditions and require an appropriate activation to tailor their responses. Improper activation can result in susceptibility to infectious diseases and contribute to pathological processes. Macrophage activation requires precise regulation of transcription, a process of ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis guided by deoxybribonucleic acid (DNA) template. Transcription can be induced by regulatory DNA regions known as enhancers. Ms Denisenko investigated enhancer regulation in mouse macrophages including their naïve cellular state, two activated states with opposed functions, and during macrophage response to tuberculosis infection. She uncovered genome-level properties of enhancer regulation and individual enhancers important for appropriate macrophage activation and response to tuberculosis infection. These insights extend current knowledge of transcriptional regulation in mouse macrophages and pave the way for further studies towards macrophage-directed treatment of tuberculosis and immune diseases.

Supervisors
Dr Sebastian Schmeier
Associate Professor Olin Silander