Bedford, Mark T.

Bedford, Mark T. Ph.D.

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Research Interests

Proteomics, arginine methylation, gene targeting, protein arrays

Current Research

Our main focus is elucidating the biological role of arginine methylation - a modification that has been implicated in transcriptional control, DNA repair and cancer. We have generated targeted disruptions of the arginine methyltransferase genes in the mouse to gain a better understanding of the biological roles of this post-translational modification. One of the arginine methyltransferases we have knocked-out is CARM1. This enzyme associates with the p160 family of nuclear hormone receptor coactivators. Using this genetic approach, we have shown the critical nature of CARM1 in estrogen responsive gene expression and fat differentiation. Additional studies are currently underway to probe the essential role of CARM1 as a transcriptional activation and regulator of splicing.

My laboratory is developing molecular approaches to facilitate the study of protein-protein interactions in the proteomic era. We have generated functional protein-domain microarrays and used them to identify and characterize novel protein interactions. Currently, our main focus in this regard is attempting to read the “histone code”. Using a combination of macro- and microarray approaches, we are identifying new proteins that interact with lysine methylated histone tails. In addition, we are also using proteomic approaches to identify new substrates for the arginine methyltransferases.

Selected Publications

  1. Yadav N, Cheng D, Richard S, Morel M, Iyer VR, Aldaz CM, Bedford MT. CARM1 promotes adipocyte differentiation by coactivating PPARgamma, EMBO Rep, 2008
  2. Iberg AN, Espejo A, Cheng D, Kim D, Michaud-Levesque J, Richard S, Bedford MT. Arginine methylation of the histone H3 tail impedes effector binding, J Biol Chem, 283 (6), 3006-10, 2008
  3. Bedford MT. Arginine methylation at a glance, J Cell Sci, 120 (Pt 24), 4243-6, 2007
  4. Huang J, Sengupta R, Espejo AB, Lee MG, Dorsey JA, Richter M, Opravil S, Shiekhattar R, Bedford MT, Jenuwein T, Berger SL. p53 is regulated by the lysine demethylase LSD1, Nature, 449 (7158), 105-8, 2007
  5. Swiercz R, Cheng D, Kim D, Bedford MT. Ribosomal protein rpS2 is hypomethylated in PRMT3-deficient mice, J Biol Chem, 282 (23), 16917-23, 2007
  6. Cheng DH, Cote J, Shaaban S, Bedford MT. The arginine methyltransferase CARM1 regulates the coupling of transcription and mRNA processing, Mol Cell, 25 (1), 71-83, 2007
  7. Huang Y, Fang J, Bedford MT, Zhang Y, Xu RM. Recognition of histone H3 lysine-4 methylation by the double tudor domain of JMJD2A, Science, 312 (5774), 748-51, 2006
  8. Kim J, Daniel J, Espejo A, Lake A, Krishna M, Xia L, Zhang Y, Bedford MT. Tudor, MBT and chromo domains gauge the degree of lysine methylation, EMBO Rep, 7 (4), 397-403, 2006

Contact Information


Mailing Address: P.O. Box 389, Smithville, Texas 78957
Physical Address: 1808 Park Road 1C, Smithville, Texas 78957
Phone: (512) 237-9539