Mara L. Lennard

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Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences | Alumni | Mara L. Lennard

Mara L. Lennard

Mentor: Dr. Greg Warr

Education:
B.S.,Southampton College 2001
Graduated: 2007

Postdoctoral:
Hollings Marine Lab, Oceans and Human Health Genomics Core Manager

Research
The catfish project is focused on comprehending the evolutionary history of the immunoglobulin heavy (H) chain gene (IgH) with an emphasis on the mechanisms of transcriptional control. Teleost fish, such as the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), have only two isotypes of immunoglobulins IgM and IgD and class switching does not occur between these two types, making them useful models for transcriptional control of immunoglobulin genes. Only one enhancer has been found in the catfish IgH locus to date, Eµ3', while the structural organization is similar to that of mouse and human intronic enhancers, the transcription factor binding sites are drastically different. Oct transcription factors and their coactivator Bob-1 (also known as OCA-B and OBF-1), are important players in the transcriptional control of immunoglobulin genes and have been identified in the channel catfish. My research is focused on the characterization of these transcription factors and their role in transcriptional control of the IgH locus in the catfish.

Publications
Evidence from a Urochordate for evolutionary pre-adaptation of B cell immune-function transcription factors.
Pauline M. Cupit, Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Greg. W.Warr, Charles Cunningham.
Gene, In press (2006)

Two variant octamer motifs in the IgH enhancer (Em3?) of the channel catfish:binding, and functional interaction of transcription factors.
Jun-ichi Hikima, Mara L. Lennard, Melanie R. Wilson, Norman W. Miller, and Gregory W. Warr. Gene, In press (2006)

Conservation and divergence of the Emu3' enhancer in the IGH locus of teleosts.
Hikima JI, Lennard ML, Wilson MR, Miller NW, Clem LW, Warr GW.
Immunogenetics. 2006 Apr;58(2-3):226-34. Epub 2006 Mar 15.

Oct2 Transcription Factors in Fish: a Comparative Genomic Analysis.
Mara L. Lennard, Melanie R. Wilson, Norman W. Miller, L. William Clem, Gregory W. Warr, and Jun-ichi Hikima. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2006 Feb;20(2):227-38.

Evolution of vertebrate E-protein transcription factors: Comparative analysis of the E-protein gene family in Takifugu rubripes and humans.
Jun-ichi Hikima, Mara L. Lennard, Gregory W. Warr.Physiological Genomics, 2005 Apr 14;21(2):144-51. Epub 2005 Feb 15.

Presentations

INACTIVITY OF THE OCT1 TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR AND THE BOB.1 CO-ACTIVATOR IN THE TELEOST FISH Ictalurus punctatus
Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Norman W. Miller, Melanie R. Wilson, Gregory W. Warr Presentation for the International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology 10th International Congress, Charleston, SC (July, 2006)

Evolutionary Conservation Of Oct Transcription Factors: Is Channel Catfish Oct1 A Pol II Transcription Factor?
Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Norman W. Miller, Melanie R. Wilson, L.William Clem, Gregory W. Warr
Plant and Animal Genome XIV Conference, San Diego, CA (January, 2006)

Oct2 Transcription Factors in Fish: a Comparative Genomic Analysis
Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Norman W. Miller, Melanie R. Wilson, L. William Clem, Gregory W. Warr
Plant and Animal Genome XIV Conference, San Diego, CA (January, 2006)

Oct Transcription Factors and their Coactivators: Are They Evolutionarily Conserved?
Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Norman W. Miller, Melanie R. Wilson, L. William Clem, Gregory W. Warr
Student Research Day, Charleston, SC (November, 2005)

Oct Transcription Factors and their Coactivators: Are They Evolutionarily Conserved?
Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Norman W. Miller, Melanie R. Wilson, L. William Clem, Gregory W. Warr
Plant and Animal Genome XIII Conference, San Diego, CA (January, 2005)

Characterization of the Transcription Factor Oct1 in Channel Catfish
Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Norman W. Miller, Melanie R. Wilson, L. William Clem, Gregory W. Warr
Student Research Day, Charleston, SC (November, 2003)

TRANSCRIPTIONAL CONTROL IN THE CATFISH IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAIN LOCUS: OCT TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR BINDING SITES
Mara L. Lennard, Jun-ichi Hikima, Norman W. Miller, Melanie R. Wilson, L.William Clem, Gregory W. Warr
International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology 9th International Congress, St. Andrews, Scotland (July, 2003)

Characterisation of Two Oct-Like Transcription Factors from the Urochordate Oikopleura Dioica
Pauline M. Cupit, Jun-ichi Hikima, Mara Lennard, Gregory W. Warr and Charles Cunningham International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology 9th International Congress, St. Andrews, Scotland (July, 2003)

Meetings Attended
Plant and Animal Genome XIV Conference, San Diego, CA (January, 2006)

International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology 10th International Congress, Charleston, South Carolina (July, 2006)

Plant and Animal Genome XIII Conference, San Diego, CA (January, 2005)

International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology 9th International Congress, St. Andrews, Scotland (July, 2003)

Awards
Travel Award to attend Plant and Animal Genome XIII Conference 2005

Hollings Marine Laboratory (Research Grant) 2003

International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology,

Travel Bursary to attend the 9th International Congress, 2003

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