Peter A. Jones

 Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor
Director, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center 

Keck School of Medicine
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Dr. Jones’ laboratory is interested in the biological role of DNA methyulation in controlling gene expression in eukaryotic cells and are a source of mutations in human genetic diseases and cancer. The methylation of cytosine residues in the promoter regions of mammalian genes is part of a multilevel control system for gene expression, and methylation is associated with transcriptional inactivity ensuring the heritable quiescence of genes during cellular development. He is investigating the role of methylation in controlling expression of genes important in muscle differentiation, particularly the MyoD1 gene and the insulin-like growth factor 2 gene. DNA methylation also plays a significant role in the generation of human mutations since more than one third of all human point mutations, such as those which cause genetic diseases or those that are responsible for the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, are induced by deamination of 5-methylcytosine residues in DNA.

 

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