| Description | Dimitris Kioussis is a molecular immunologist who has made major contributions to our understanding of the control of gene expression in cells of the developing immune system. He was involved in the initial characterization of the globin Locus Control Region and subsequently discovered the LCR of the human CD2 gene. This began his studies of immune gene expression focused on the interactions between cis regulatory elements and trans-acting factors and on the formation of the required chromatin structures. He established that lack of the 3rd DNase hypersensitive site of the CD2 LCR leads to Position Effect Variegation, identified specific DNase footprints in the region that are neessary to protect from PEV and cloned the HMG-box-containing protein that interacts with one of them, proceeding to study its function by genetic manipulation. He is widely known for his expertise in transgenesis and was involved in the establishment of immortalized cell lines from numerous murine tissues by use of the SV40 T antigen as a transgene. Using transgenics he has also investigated the regulation of expression of the murine CDB alpha beta gene complex and found as part of these studies that the trans-acting factor, IKaros, is involved in activation of the locus by influencing the chromatin structure of the complex. |