Our group has characterised a new important regulator of the Start transition: Whi7. Whi7 acts as a transcriptional repressor of the Start programme, collaborating with Whi5 in this function, so that, as occurs in mammals with the Rb family, the control of cell cycle initiation depends on the interplay between different repressors. The group's work aims to advance in the characterisation of the regulation and function of Whi7 and its comparison with Whi5 in different physiological conditions, which may help to understand how the action of different repressors is coordinated in the control of cell cycle initiation. In addition, the relationship between Whi7 and the protein kinase C pathway is being investigated. The fact that a member of the Rb family is mutated in almost all tumours further reinforces the importance of studying the role of these G1 repressors.

Cell cycle, Whi7, Whi5, retinoblastoma, S. cerevisiae, yeast

• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry