The Faculty in Reproductive Biology at Illinois

David Bunick

Veterinary Biosciences
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

To e-mail Dr. Bunick use: buni@uiuc.edu

Research in my laboratory is geared toward elucidating the mechanism(s) of cellular differentiation and testis development at the level of gene regulation. We use the mammalian testis to study developmental processes affecting regulation of spermatogenesis. The interaction of testicular somatic cells and germ cells during development and in the adult offers a unique cellular dif-ferentiation system for studying processes that control the expression or repression of cell-stage specific genes. Starting at the stem cell stage, spermatogenesis proceeds through a series of defined cell types. The germ cells undergo mitosis, meiosis, and morphological restructuring of the terminal cell stages to produce mature spermatozoa. During this process the cells exhibit differential temperature sensitivity and many testis-specific genes, somatic genes, and testis-specific variants of somatic genes become differentially expressed. To aid our studies we are developing trans-genic models that allow the study of germ cell specific gene knockouts.

Additionally we are studying the role of germ cell synthesized estrogen in the development and maturation of the male germ cells and in epididymal function. We are using differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT PCR) analysis to study the estrogen mediated regulation of gene expression in primary cultures of epididymal epithelial cells.

Selected Publications:

Naaz A, Yellayi S, Zakroczymski MA, Bunick D, Doerge DR, Lubahn DB, Helferich WG, Cooke PS. 2003 The soy isoflavone genistein decreases adipose deposition in mice. Endocrinology 144:3315-20.

Lee KH, Finnigan-Bunick AC, Bahr J, Bunick D. 2001 Estrogen regulation of ion transporter mRNA levels in mouse efferent ductules are mediated differentially through ERa and ERb. Biol. Reprod. 65:1534-1541.

Lee KH, Hess RA, Lubahn DB, Taylor J, Bunick D. 2000 Estrogen receptor a has a functional role in the adult mouse rete testis and efferent ductules. Biol. Reprod. 63:1873-1880.

Janssen SJ, Kirby JD, Hess RA, Rhoads M, Bunick D, Bailey K, Wang H, Bahr JM. 2000 Identification of epididymal stones in diverse rooster populations. Poult. Sci. 79:568-74.

Ohsako S, Janulis L, Hayashi Y, Bunick D. 1998 Characterization of Domains of Calnexin-t (Calmegin), a putative molecular chaperone required in sperm fertility, by using glutathione S-transferase-fusion proteins. Biol. Reprod. 59:1214-1223.

View Publications by David Bunick listed on the National Library of Medicine (PubMed)

Last updated August 13, 2003

Home  |  The Program  |  The Faculty  |  The Departments and How To Apply
Seminars, Lectures and Conferences  |  News and Announcements  |  Current Trainees