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Student Information Form
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Michael Allingham
Undergraduate Education: Duke University
Degree / Year: BS Chemistry / 2001
Mentor(s): Keith Burridge |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
ICAM1-mediated signals during transendothelial migration of leukocytes
Awards / Honors:
The American Society for Cell Biology 2005 Predoctoral Travel Awards
Publications:
Allingham MJ, van Buul JD, Burridge K. 2006. ICAM1-mediated, Src- and Pyk2-dependent VE-cadherin tyrosine phosphorylation is required for leukocyte transendothelial migration. (Submitted to J. Immunol.)
van Buul JD, Allingham MJ, Samson T, Meller J, Garcia-Mata R, Burridge K. 2006. ICAM1-mediated RhoG activation is required for leukocyte transmigration across the endothelium. (Submitted to Cell)
Silinski P, Allingham MJ, Fitzgerald MC. 2001. Guanidine-induced equilibrium unfolding of a homo
hexameric enzyme 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4-OT). Biochemistry. 2001 Apr 10;40(14):4493-502.
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Liang Cai
Undergraduate Education: Fudan University
Degree / Year: BS / 2003
Mentor(s): James E. Bear
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Current Research Activities (brief description):
My current research interests include actin binding proteins, actin dynamic regulation cytoskeleton remodeling, lamellipodial protrusion, Ser/Thr phosphatases, phosphorylation regulation, computational modeling, live cell imaging and advanced microscopy.
Awards / Honors:
The American Society for Cell Biology 2005 Predoctoral Travel Awards
Publications:
Liang CAI, Thomas W Marshall, Andrea C Uetrecht, Dorothy A Schafer, James E Bear. Coronin 1B coordinates Arp2/3 complex and Cofilin activities at the leading edge. Cell [J], 2007, 128(5):915-929.
Thomas W Marshall, Liang CAI, James E Bear. Chemistry comes to the cell: ASCB 2005. Nature Chemical Biology [J], 2006, 2(3):119-122.
Liang CAI, Nicholas Holoweckyj, Michael D Schaller, James E Bear. Phosphorylation of coronin 1B by protein kinase C regulates interaction with Arp2/3 and cell motility. The Journal of Biological Chemistry [J], 2005, 280(36): 31913-31923.
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Jian-Fu Chen
Undergraduate Education: Beijing Agriculture University
Degree / Year: BS, MS / 2002
Mentor(s): Dazhi Wang |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as novel regulators of gene expression that target cognate binding sites in the 3’ untranslated region (3’ UTR) of messenger RNA. Yet the function of miRNAs is largely unknown. My current research project is to investigate miRNA function during muscle development using mouse as the experimental model system.
Publications:
Shan L, Oh HS, Chen J, Guo M, Zhou J, Alfano JR, Collmer A, Jia X, Tang X 2004. The HopPtoF Locus of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 Encodes a Type III Chaperone and a Cognate Effector. Mol Plant Microbe Interact, 17(5): 447-55.
Chen JF, Mandel EM, Thomson JM, Wu Q, Callis TE, Hammond SM, Conlon FL, Wang DZ 2006. The role of microRNA-1 and microRNA-133 in skeletal muscle proliferation and differentiation. Nat Genet 38, 228-233.
Thomas E. Callis, Jian-Fu Chen and Da-Zhi Wang 2007. MicroRNAs in skeletal and cardiac muscle development. DNA and Cell Biology (In press). |
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Peter Douglas
Undergraduate Education: U. of Colorado at Boulder
Degree / Year: BS Biochemistry / 2001
Mentor(s): Doug Cyr |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Study molecular and cellular mechanisms by which proteins form either benign or deadly amyloid aggregates. Study how molecular chaperones modulate this assembly reaction and promote the relocalization and subsequent degradation of different intermediates in the pathway.
Awards / Honors:
Predoctoral American Heart Fellowship
Publications:
Douglas et al. Prion toxicity in yeast is governed by chaperone-dependent amyloid assembly and prion templating. In review.
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Stephen Gee
Undergraduate Education: University of South Carolina
Degree / Year: BS Biology - Minor in Chemistry / 1997
Mentor(s): Sharon Milgram |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Publications:
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Summer Goodson
Undergraduate Education: UNC-Chapel Hill
Degree / Year: BS Biology / 2001
Mentor(s): Scott Hammond
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Current Research Activities (brief description):
I am currently investigating the impact of an intronic microRNA cluster on the activity of its host gene.
Publications:
He L, Thomson JM, Hemann MT, Hernando-Monge E, Mu D, Goodson S, Powers S, Cordon-Cardo C, Lowe SW, Hannon GJ, Hammond SM. A microRNA polycistron as a potential human oncogene. Nature. 2005 Jun 9;435(7043):828-33.
Tsui C, Coleman LE, Griffith JL, Bennett EA, Goodson SG, Scott JD, Pittard WS, Devine SE. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that map to gaps in the human SNP map.Nucleic Acids Res. 2003 Aug 15;31(16):4910-6.
Griffith JL, Coleman LE, Raymond AS, Goodson SG, Pittard WS, Tsui C, Devine SE. Functional genomics reveals relationships between the retrovirus-like Ty1 element and its host Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics. 2003 Jul;164(3):867-79. |
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Jessica Ragas Harrell
Undergrad Education: Louisiana State University
Degree / Year: BS Biochemistry / 2001
Mentor(s): Bob Goldstein |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
I am currently working to understand the mechanism driving internalization of the mesoderm and germline during gastrulation in C. elegans.
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Yolanda Huang
Undergrad Education: Pennsylvania State University
Degree / Year: BA Wellesley College/ 2003
Mentor(s): Mohanish Deshmukh |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Our lab is interested in examining the regulation of the apoptotic pathway in postmitotic cells. My project is based upon previous findings that XIAP, a key anti-apoptotic molecule which inhibits caspases, is important in restricting neuronal death in sympathetic neurons. We, therefore, hypothesize that mice deficient of XIAP will be more vulnerable to neurological diseases.
Publications:
Huang YY*, Johnson CE*, Parrish AB, Smith MI, Vaughn AE, Wright KM, Zhang Q, van Dyke T, Weschsler-Reya RJ, Kornbluth S, Deshmukh M. Selective Induction of Apoptosis in Brain Tumors by Direct Activation of the Apoptosome. (In submission).
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Kristina Ile
Undergrad Education: Pennsylvania State University
Degree / Year: BS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology / 2001
Mentor(s): Vytas Bankaitis |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
The Bankaitis lab’s interest is phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins. PITPs are a ubiquitous family of proteins with roles that include regulating the interface between lipid levels and vesicle transport. I am focusing on PITPb, a mammalian homologue that is essential for mouse development, and may be an essential housekeeping protein. My project is to determine what is responsible for the functional distinction of PITPb from its close homologue PITPa, and to examine what happens to cells and organisms when PITPb is lost.
Awards / Honors:
CMB Training Grant
Publications:
Ile KE, Schaaf G, Bankaitis VA (2006) Phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins and cellular nanoreactors for lipid signaling, Nat Chem Biol., 2(11):576-83.
Phillips SE*, Ile KE*, Boukhelifa M, Huijbregts RP, Bankaitis VA (2006) Specific and nonspecific membrane-binding determinants cooperate in targeting phosphatidylinositol transfer protein beta-isoform to the mammalian trans-Golgi network, Mol Biol Cell. Jun;17(6):2498-512.
*authors contributed equally to this work
Chen ZJ, Vulevic B, Ile KE, Soulika A, Davis W Jr, Reiner PB, Connop BP, Nathwani P, Trojanowski JQ, Tew KD. Association of ABCA2 expression with determinants of Alzheimer's disease, FASEB J. 2004 Jul;18(10):1129-31.
Ile KE, Davis W Jr, Boyd JT, Soulika AM, Tew KD (2004) Identification of novel first
exon of human ABCA2 transporter gene encodes unique N-terminus, Biochim Biophys Acta. Apr 16;1678(1):22-32. |
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Terezina (Zina) Johnson
Undergrad Education: University of Illinois at Chicago
Degree / Year: BS Biological Sciences / 2001
Mentor(s): Con Beckers |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
The research in our laboratory revolves around the human protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii which can cause severe disease in individuals with a defective immune system or during pregnancy. It is used as a model system for study of the closely related malaria parasite, Plasmodium. These parasites contain a large membrane-associated protein complex that contains a myosin required for parasite motility. I am currently analyzing the function and regulation of the four proteins found in this complex.
Awards / Honors:
Travel Award for Best Student Seminar, Cell and Developmental Biology, Spring Semester 2006
Publications:
T. Johnson, Z. Rajfur, K. Jacobson, C. Beckers. Immobilization of the type XIV myosin complex in Toxoplasma membranes is cholesterol-dependent. In Press. Mol Biol Cell.
W.A. Hofmann, T. Johnson, M. Klapczynski, J.L. Fan, and P. de Lanerolle. 2006. From transcription to transport: emerging roles for nuclear myosin I. Biochem Cell Biol. 84:418-26.
C.H. Chuang, A.E. Carpenter, B. Fuchsova, T. Johnson, P. de Lanerolle, and A.S. Belmont. 2006. Long-range directional movement of an interphase chromosome site. Curr Biol. 16:825-31.
P. de Lanerolle, T. Johnson, and W.A. Hofmann. 2005. Actin and myosin I in the nucleus: what next? Nature Struct Mol Biol. 12:742-6. |
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Yang Liu
Undergrad Education: Fudan University
Degree / Year: BS / 2002
Mentor(s): Vytas Bankaitis |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Ph.D. Thesis
7/2004-current Vytas Bankaitis Lab
The Sac1p phosphoinositide phosphatase is required for maintenance of Golgi organization and early stages of embryonic development in mammals.
Publications:
Bankaitis, V.A., Vincent, P., Merkulova, M., Tyeryar, K., and Liu, Y. 2007. Phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins and functional specification of lipid signaling pools. Advances in Enzyme Regulation (In Press).
Spana E.P., Elliott, B., Liu, Y., Perrimon, N., and Bankaitis, V.A. 2007. Novel roles for a Drosophila phosphatidylinositol transfer protein in regulation of mechanosensory bristle development, planar polarity signaling and EGF receptor activity. (to be submitted 4/2007).
Liu, Y., Boukhelifa, M., Ile, K.E., , and Bankaitis, V.A. 2007. The Sac1p phosphoinositide phosphatase is required for maintenance of Golgi organization and early stages of embryonic development in mammals. (to be submitted 4/2007). |
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Vidya Mani
Undergrad Education: Bangalore University
Degree / Year: BS / 2000
Mentor(s): Scott Hammond |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Investigating the role of microRNA in determining tumorigenic potential of malignant cells.
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Tom Marshall
Undergrad Education: Xavier University, Washington State University
Degree / Year: BS, Molecular Biosciences / 2000
Mentor(s): Jim Bear |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
I currently am characterizing Coronin 2A, an F-actin binding protein that localizes to stress fibers and focal adhesions. Through the use of shRNA knockdown and GFP fusion overexpression constructs, I am trying to determine the role of Coronin 2A in actin cytoskeleton organization and cell motility. In particular, I am aimed at determining if differential expression of Coronin 2A affects breast cancer cells chemotaxis toward the stimulus EGF.
Publications:
Brown CJ, Takayama S, Campen AM, Vise P, Marshall TW, Oldfield CJ, Williams CJ, Dunker AK. Evolutionary rate heterogeneity in proteins with long disordered regions. J Mol Evol. 2002 Jul;55(1):104-10.
Marshall TW, Link KA, Petre-Draviam CE, Knudsen KE. Differential requirement of SWI/SNF for androgen receptor activity. J Biol Chem. 2003 Aug 15;278(33):30605-13.
Petre-Draviam CE, Cook SL, Burd CJ, Marshall TW, Wetherill YB, Knudsen KE. Specificity of cyclin D1 for androgen receptor regulation. Cancer Res. 2003 Aug 15;63(16):4903-13.
Marshall TW, Cai L, Bear JE. Chemistry comes to the cell: ASCB 2005. Nat Chem Biol. 2006 Mar;2(3):119-22.
Cai L, Marshall TW, Uetrecht AC, Schafer DA, Bear JE. Coronin 1B Coordinates Arp2/3 Complex and Cofilin Activities at the Leading Edge. Cell 2007 March 9:128, 915-929.
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Marty Newman
Undergrad Education: Brandeis University
Degree / Year: BS Biology / 2002
Mentor(s): Scott Hammond
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Current Research Activities (brief description):
MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene-expression at the post-transcriptional level. The Hammond Lab recently reported a phenomenon where microRNA expression during development and in cancer seems to be regulated at the post-transcriptional level. I am currently investigating the molecular mechanisms that govern this phenomenon.
Publications:
J. Michael Thomson, Martin Newman, Joel S. Parker, Elizabeth M. Morin-Kensicki, Tricia Wright, and Scott M. Hammond. Extensive post-transcriptional regulation of microRNAs and its implications for cancer. Genes & Dev., Aug 2006; 20: 2202 - 2207.
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Jennifer Sallee
Undergrad Education: Roger Williams University
Degree / Year: BS Biology / 2002
Mentor(s): Keith Burridge |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
I am currently exploring the role that receptor tyrosine phosphatases play in regulating cell permeability. DEP-1 is a specific PTP that localizes to sites of cell-cell junctions and may be regulating adhesion. Loss of activity may result in weaker junctions, potentially playing a role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT).
Awards / Honors:
American Heart Predoctoral Fellowship and Department of Defense Breast Cancer Predoctoral Fellowship
Publications:
Thelin WR, Chen Y, Gentzsch M, Kreda SM, Sallee JL, Scarlett CO, Borchers CH, Jacobson K, Stutts MJ, Milgram SL. (2007) Direct interaction with filamins modulates the stability and plasma membrane expression of CFTR. J Clin Invest. 117(2):364-374.
Sallee JL, Wittchen ES, and Burridge K. (2006) Regulation of Cell Adhesion by Protein-tyrosine Phosphatases 2. Cell-Cell Adhesion. JBC 281(24): 16189-16192.
Burridge K, Sastry SK, and Sallee JL. (2006) Regulation of Cell Adhesion by Protein-tyrosine Phosphatases 1. Cell-Matrix Adhesion. JBC 281(23): 15593-15596 |
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Michelle Smith
Undergrad Education: McGill University
Degree / Year: BS - Physiology / 2001
Mentor(s): Mohanish Deshmukh |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Unlike mitotic cells, our lab has shown that neurons are more strictly regulate apoptosis. Along these lines, I am focusing on identifying novel aspects of apoptotic regulation in post-mitotic cells. This includes examining the regulation apoptosis in post-mitotic myotubes (cells which make up skeletal muscle) and their mitotic precursors, myoblasts.
Awards / Honors:
Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program Travel Award
Cell and Developmental Biology In-house Presentation Award
Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program Collaborative Grant
Publications:
M.I. Smith and M. Deshmukh. (2007). Endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis requires bax for commitment and Apaf-1 for execution in primary neurons. Cell Death & Differ. Advance Online Publication, January 12, 2007.
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Andrea Uetrecht
Undergrad Education: Trent University, Peterborough ON, Canada
Degree / Year: BS / 2001
Mentor(s): Jim Bear |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
1.) Mechanisms governing cellular polarity during migration, particularly those involved in chemotaxis and cellular adhesion. 2.) Function of the Coronin family member POD in cellular processes.
Publications:
Cai LC, Marshall TW, Uetrecht AC, Schafer DA, Bear JE. 2007. Coronin 1B Coordinates Arp2/3 Complex and Cofilin Activities at the Leading Edge. Cell; 128(5):915-29.
Vitriol EA, Uetrecht AC, Shen F, Jacobson K, Bear JE. 2007. Enhanced EGFP-chromophore-assisited laser inactivation using deficient cells rescued with functional EGFP-fusion proteins. PNAS; in press. |
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Allyson Vaughn
Undergrad Education: University of Missouri-Columbia
Degree / Year: BS / 2002
Mentor(s): Mohanish Deshmukh |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Our lab is working to better understand the mechanisms by which postmitotic cells regulate the programmed cell death pathway and undergo apoptosis. We find that compared to mitotic cells, postmitotic cells more strictly regulate this pathway in order to last the lifetime of the organism. Understanding how this process is regulated differentially between dividing and non-dividing cells is important for developing rational therapies that may prevent cell loss in pathological situations such as stroke, spinal cord injury, and neurodegenerative disease. In particular, I am interested in understanding the mechanisms by which neuronal cells resist apoptosis induced by cytosolic cytochrome c, and how this resistance is overcome in response to both developmental and pathological apoptotic stimuli.
Awards / Honors:
Cell and Molecular Biology Grant (a predoctoral training program funded by the NIH for UNC graduate students) 8/2004-8/2005.
Keystone Symposia Education Fund: Scholarships for Cellular Senescence (2005).
PEO Scholars Award Recipient (2006).
F31 NIH predoctoral fellowship (NRSA) (2007-).
Publications:
Potts MB, Vaughn AE, McDonough H, Patterson C, Deshmukh M. Reduced Apaf-1 Levels in Cardiomyocytes Engage Strict Regulation of Apoptosis by Endogenous XIAP (2005). J. Cell Biol. 171 (6):925-930
Murphy MM, Zayed MA, Evans AE, Parker C, Ataga KI, Telen MJ, Parise LV. Role of Rap1 in Promoting Sickle Red Blood Cell Adhesion to Laminin via BCAM/LU (2005). Blood. 105 (8):3322-3329.
Wright KM, Vaughn AE, Deshmukh M. Apoptosome dependent caspase-3 activation pathway is non-redundant and necessary for apoptosis in sympathetic neurons. (2007) March 14(3):625-33. Cell Death and Differen.
Vaughn AE, Deshmukh M. Essential Postmitochondrial Function of p53 Uncovered in DNA Damage-Induced Apoptosis in Neurons (2007) Jan 12 online ahead of print Cell Death and Differen.
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Soumya Vemuganti
Undergrad Education: University of Iowa
Degree / Year: BS Biological Sciences / 2001
Mentor(s): Deborah A. O'Brien |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Our lab studies the role of novel glycolytic isozymes expressed only during spermatogenesis. In mice, localized glycolytic ATP production in the sperm tail is essential for male fertility, suggesting that these isozymes may be useful targets for both the development of contraceptive approaches and treatments of male infertility. My project involves characterizing the enzymatic properties of three novel aldolase A glycolytic isozymes expressed only during mouse spermatogenesis.
Awards / Honors:
NIH Travel Award, American Society of Andrology, 2006.
NIH Travel Award, American Society of Andrology Testis Workshop, 2007.
University of North Carolina Graduate Mentor Support Grant, 2007.
Publications:
Hao Z., Jha K., Kim Y., Vemuganti S., Westbrook V.A., Cherithin O., Markgraf K., Jackson L., Flickinger C.J., Coppola M.A., Herr J.C., Visconti, P.E. (2004) Expression Analysis of the Human Testis Specific Ser/Thr Kinases (TSSK) Homologues. A TSSK Member is Present in the Equatorial Segment of Human Sperm, Mol. Human Reproduction, 10:1-12.
Herr JC, Chertihin O, Digilio L, Jha KN, Vemuganti S, Flickinger CJ. (2007) Distribution of RNA binding protein MOEP19 in the oocyte cortex and early embryo indicates pre-patterning related to blastomere polarity and trophectoderm specification. Dev Biol. Dec 4; [Epub ahead of print].
Vemuganti SA, Bell TA, Scarlett CO, Parker CE, de Villena FP, O'Brien DA. (2007) Three male germline-specific aldolase A isozymes are generated by alternative splicing and retrotransposition.Dev Biol. 1;309(1):18-31.
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Hao Wu
Undergrad Education: Beijing Forestry University
Degree / Year: BS / 2001
Mentor(s): Patrick Brennwald |
Current Research Activities (brief description):
Rho3 and Cdc42 are members of the Rho family of small GTPases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both proteins play important but distinct roles in regulating polarized growth in yeast. My research is focused on understanding the mechanism by which Rho small GTPases regulate exocytosis. Genetic analysis has revealed that Rho3 and Cdc42 shares a common effector Exo70. Exo70 adopt a conformational change upon activation of GTP-bound Rho3 and Cdc42, which then leads to activation of the Exocyst complex and secretion.
Publications:
Roumanie O, Wu H, Molk JN, Rossi G, Bloom K, Brennwald P, Rho GTPase regulation of Exocytosis in yeast is independent of GTP hydrolysis and polarization of the exocyst complex. J Cell Biol. 2005 Aug 15;170(4):583-94.
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