Kathleen Conklin

Associate Professor

Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development

Email: conkl001@umn.edu
Phone: 612-626-0445

Research Interests

There are two major projects in the laboratory. The first involves the identification of genes involved in development of human leukemia. This project is a collaborative effort between my laboratory and that of Dr. Betsy Hirsh. Dr Hirsch¿s laboratory has identified a new recurrent chromosomal abnormality in young children with acute myeloid leukemia. We are cloning genes that localize to the sites of chromosomal rearrangements in tumors from these patients; one candidate gene we identified recently is novel and exhibits characteristics of a tumor suppressor gene. Studies are underway to define the function in both normal and leukemic cells of this and additional genes being cloned.

The second project takes a different approach to identify genes important in tumorigenesis and uses a retrovirus model. Many retroviruses induce leukemias; analysis of tumor DNA demonstrates that viral DNA (called a provirus) is found inserted at common sites and that these sites frequently define either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. We are analyzing both myeloid and B cell tumors induced by different strains of retroviruses to identify genes that are aberrantly regulated after proviral insertion. As an extension of these tumorigenesis studies, we are also investigating the role of several viral genes required for efficient replication.

Selected Recent Publications

• Simmons HM, Ruis BL, Kapoor M, Hudacek AW, Conklin KF. (2005) Identification of NOM1, a nucleolar, eIF4A binding protein encoded within the chromosome 7q36 breakpoint region targeted in cases of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia. Gene.28;347(1):137-45.
• Simmons, HM, L Oseth, P Nguyen, KF Conklin and B Hirsch. 2002. Cytogenetic and molecular heterogeneity of 7q36/12p13 rearrangements in childhood AML. Leukemia 16, 2408-2416.
• Benson, S.J., B.L. Ruis, A.M. Fadly and K. F. Conklin. 1998. The unique envelope gene of the subgroup J avian leukosis virus derives from ev/J proviruses, a novel family of avian endogenous viruses. J. Virol. 72:10157-10164.
• Benson, S.J., B.L. Ruis, A.L. Garbers, A.M. Fadly and K.F. Conklin. 1998. Independent isolates of the emerging subgroup J avian leukosis virus derive from a common ancestor. J. Virol. 72: 10301-10304.
• Ruis, B.L., S.J. Benson, and K.F Conklin. 1999. Genome structure and expression of the ev/J family of avian endogenous viruses. J. Virol. 73:5345-5355.