Research Program and Theme
- Program: Cancer Engineering and Biological Systems
- Theme: Mechanistic and Quantitative Biology
Research Focus
RNA polymerase III (Pol III) upregulation is a hallmark of cancer, suggesting increased Pol III activity that produces tRNA, 5S rRNA, and other small RNA species needed for protein accumulation, which is required for cancer cell proliferation. Using a combinatorial genomic approach, Kevin van Bortle has most recently demonstrated that a specific Pol III subunit, POLR3G, expands Pol III transcriptional potential and increases the abundance of specific small RNAs in cancer. Van Bortle’s group seeks to deconstruct the mechanism(s) of POLR3G-enhanced transcription and function(s) of downstream small RNA repertoires enriched in cancer cells, opening the door for new opportunities to understand gene dysregulation in cancer with therapeutic potential. Learn more about Kevin van Bortle’s lab.