Nikolai Kirov

Gene function and mechanisms of gene regulation during Drosophila development

My research interests are in the area of gene regulation during embryonic development. I am studying the signal transduction pathway initiated by member of the TGF-ß superfamily Dpp in Drosophila melanogaster. Early in the development it acts as a morphogen similarly to activins and BMPs in vertebrate embryos. It controls the cell fates along the dorsal-ventral axis of the embryo and anterior-posterior patterning of the adult appendages in a concentration dependent manner by eliciting differential transcriptional response from its target genes. Using molecular, biochemical and genetic analysis I am currently studying the promoter elements of Dpp terget genes and searching for coactivators and corepressors involved in their regulation. We are also investigating the mechanism of negative regulation of Dpp target genes by the gene brinker with a goal to uncover the general principles governing gene response to the embryonic morphogens.

I teach Molecular Biology Lab I and II graduate courses. These are experimental classes, which cover a broad array of molecular biology techniques.

Ph.D. 1985 (Molecular Biology), Institute of Molecular Biology, Sofia, Bulgaria

M.S. 1979 (Biochemistry), Kharkov University, Ukraine

Fellowship at Medical Nobel Institute, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Fellowship at Roche Institute of Molecular Biology

American Association for Advancement of Science

Fellowship at Medical Nobel Institute, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Fellowship at Roche Institute of Molecular Biology

Date of these PubMed search results: March 24 2020
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1. Zelda potentiates morphogen activity by increasing chromatin accessibility.
   Curr Biol (2014 Jun 16) PMC4075064 free full-text archive
   Foo SM, Sun Y, Lim B, Ziukaite R, O'Brien K, Nien CY, Kirov N, Shvartsman SY, Rushlow CA
2. Temporal coordination of gene networks by Zelda in the early Drosophila embryo.
   PLoS Genet (2011 Oct) PMC3197689 free full-text archive
   Nien CY, Liang HL, Butcher S, Sun Y, Fu S, Gocha T, Kirov N, Manak JR, Rushlow C
3. The zinc-finger protein Zelda is a key activator of the early zygotic genome in Drosophila.
   Nature (2008 Nov 20) PMC2597674 free full-text archive
   Liang HL, Nien CY, Liu HY, Metzstein MM, Kirov N, Rushlow C
4. Threshold response of C15 to the Dpp gradient in Drosophila is established by the cumulative effect of Smad and Zen activators and negative cues.
   Development (2006 Dec) PMID: 17092951
   Lin MC, Park J, Kirov N, Rushlow C
5. Peak levels of BMP in the Drosophila embryo control target genes by a feed-forward mechanism.
   Development (2005 Apr) PMID: 15728670
   Xu M, Kirov N, Rushlow C
6. Transcriptional regulation of the Drosophila gene zen by competing Smad and Brinker inputs.
   Genes Dev (2001 Feb 1) PMC312624 free full-text archive
   Rushlow C, Colosimo PF, Lin MC, Xu M, Kirov N
7. The Drosophila gene brinker reveals a novel mechanism of Dpp target gene regulation.
   Cell (1999 Feb 19) PMID: 10052458
   Jazwinska A, Kirov N, Wieschaus E, Roth S, Rushlow C
8. Isolation and characterization of a new gene encoding a member of the HIRA family of proteins from Drosophila melanogaster.
   Gene (1998 Jun 8) PMID: 9611274
   Kirov N, Shtilbans A, Rushlow C
9. puckered encodes a phosphatase that mediates a feedback loop regulating JNK activity during dorsal closure in Drosophila.
   Genes Dev (1998 Feb 15) PMC316530 free full-text archive
   Martin‑Blanco E, Gampel A, Ring J, Virdee K, Kirov N, Tolkovsky AM, Martinez‑Arias A
10. The transcriptional corepressor DSP1 inhibits activated transcription by disrupting TFIIA-TBP complex formation.
    EMBO J (1996 Dec 16) PMC452533 free full-text archive
    Kirov NC, Lieberman PM, Rushlow C
11. The Drosophila dorsal morphogen represses the tolloid gene by interacting with a silencer element.
    Mol Cell Biol (1994 Jan) PMC358420 free full-text archive
    Kirov N, Childs S, O'Connor M, Rushlow C
12. Conversion of a silencer into an enhancer: evidence for a co-repressor in dorsal-mediated repression in Drosophila.
    EMBO J (1993 Aug) PMC413585 free full-text archive
    Kirov N, Zhelnin L, Shah J, Rushlow C
13. In vitro transcription through nucleosomes by T7 RNA polymerase.
    EMBO J (1992 May) PMC556653 free full-text archive
    Kirov N, Tsaneva I, Einbinder E, Tsanev R
14. The complexity of 75S premessenger RNA in balbiani ring granules studied by a new RNA band retardation assay.
    Nucleic Acids Res (1991 Jun 25) PMC328337 free full-text archive
    Kirov N, Wurtz T, Daneholt B
15. Segregation of nucleosomes in replicated mouse alpha-globin gene.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun (1987 Jun 30) PMID: 3038089
    Kirov N, Tsaneva I, Yaneva J, Tsanev R
16. Activated murine alpha-globin gene is not preferentially associated with the nuclear matrix.
    Int J Biochem (1986) PMID: 3005069
    Kirov N, Tsanev R
17. Presence of nucleosomal repeat in the transcribed alpha globin gene of induced murine erythroleukemia cells.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun (1985 Jul 16) PMID: 3861179
    Kirov N, Tsaneva I, Tsanev R
18. Nuclear matrix and transcriptional activity of the mouse alpha-globin gene.
    J Mol Biol (1984 Dec 15) PMID: 6597312
    Kirov N, Djondjurov L, Tsanev R