Alumni

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Wayne Speckmann, Ph.D.

Wayne identified the RNA sequence/structure motifs that are responsible for retaining a family of cellular RNAs in the nucleus, for post-transriptional modification of the RNAs, and for interaction with the protein fibrillarin. He also tested the fate of RNAs derived from a hyperthermophilic prokaryote in a eukaryotic cell. The six publications from his thesis work had a total impact factor over 50 and have been cited more than 200 times. 1997 Teaching Assistant Award First Place presentations at UGA Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and at state-wide poster competitions. UGA University Wide Fellowship Won over $100,000 on Wheel of Fortune Speckmann, W., Narayanan, A., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (1999) Nuclear retention elements of U3 small nucleolar RNA. Mol. Cell. Biol. 19:8412-8421. Read Speckmann et al. Narayanan, A., Speckmann, W., Terns R. M., and Terns, M. P. (1999) Role of the Box C/D motif in the localization of small nucleolar RNAs to coiled bodies and nucleoli. Molecular Biology of the Cell 10: 2137-2147. Read Narayanan et al. Lukowiak, A., Granneman, S., Mattox, S., Speckmann, W., Jones, K., Pluk, H., van Venrooij, W., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2000) Interaction of the U3-55k protein with U3 snoRNA is mediated by the Box B/C motif of U3 and the WD40 repeats of U3-55k. Nucleic Acids Research 28: 3462-3471. Read Lukowiak et al. Speckmann, W., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. The Box C/D motif targets 5' cap hypermethylation of small nucleolar RNAs. Nucleic Acids Research 28: 4467-4473. Read Speckmann et al. Speckmann, W., Li, Z-H., Lowe, T., Eddy, S., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. Archaeal Guide RNAs Function in rRNA Modification in the Eukaryotic Nucleus. Current Biology, 12(3):199-203. Read Speckmann et al. Cahill NM, Friend K, Speckmann W, Li ZH, Terns RM, Terns MP, Steitz JA. (2002) Site-specific cross-linking analyses reveal an asymmetric protein distribution for a box C/D snoRNP. EMBO Journal, 21(14):3816-28. Read Cahill et al. Wayne was in our lab 5 years and is now a Research Scientist III at Upstate Biotechnology Inc. - Millipore.

Aarthi Narayanan, Ph.D.

Aarthi identified two RNA sequence/structure motifs that target cellular RNAs to the nucleolus. She also found that some RNAs transiently associate with intranuclear structures called Cajal bodies en route to nucleoli. Aarthi's six publications had a total impact factor over 53 and have been cited more than 250 times. UGA University Wide Fellowship Narayanan, A., Speckmann, W., Terns R. M., and Terns, M. P. (1999) Role of the Box C/D motif in the localization of small nucleolar RNAs to coiled bodies and nucleoli. Molecular Biology of the Cell 10: 2137-2147. Read Narayanan et al. Narayanan, A., Lukowiak, A., Jady, B., Dragon, F., Kiss, T., Terns R. M., and Terns, M. P. (1999) Nucleolar localization signals of Box H/ACA small nucleolar RNAs. EMBO J. 18:5120-5130. Read Narayanan et al. Speckmann, W., Narayanan, A., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (1999) Nuclear retention elements of U3 small nucleolar RNA. Mol. Cell. Biol. 19:8412-8421. Read Speckmann et al. Yu, Y., Shu, M., Narayanan, A., Terns, R.M., Terns, M.P., and Steitz, J.A. (2001) Internal modification of U2 snRNA occurs in nucleoli of Xenopus oocytes. Journal of Cell Biology, 152:1279-1288. Read Yu et al. Lukowiak, A., Narayanan, A., Li, Z., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. The snoRNA domain of human telomerase RNA functions to localize the RNA within the nucleus. RNA, 7:1833-1844. Read Lukowiak et al. Narayanan A, Eifert J, Marfatia KA, Macara IG, Corbett AH, Terns RM, and Terns MP. (2002) Nuclear RanGTP is Not Required for Targeting Small Nucleolar RNAs to the Nucleolus. Journal of Cell Science, 116:177-186. Read Narayanan et al. Aarthi was in our laboratory 5 years and is now a postdoctoral fellow in Molecular Genetics at the NIH.

Andrew Lukowiak, Ph.D.

Andrew determined the sequences required for an RNA-protein interaction (between U3 snoRNA and the U3-55k protein). He also characterized the transport of the RNA component of telomerase, a key molecule in human cancer and aging. His three publications from our lab had a total impact factor over 23 and have been cited over 150 times. NIH Training Grant in Genetics NSF Training Grant in Microbial Diversity Kasman, L., Lukowiak, A., Garczynski, R., McNall, R., Youngman, P., and Adang, M. (1998) Phage Display of a Biologically Active Bacillus thuringiensis toxin. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64:2995-3003. Narayanan, A., Lukowiak, A., Jady, B., Dragon, F., Kiss, T., Terns R. M., and Terns, M. P. (1999) Nucleolar localization signals of Box H/ACA small nucleolar RNAs. EMBO J. 18:5120-5130. Read Narayanan et al. Lukowiak, A., Granneman, S., Mattox, S., Speckmann, W., Jones, K., Pluk, H., van Venrooij, W., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2000) Interaction of the U3-55k protein with U3 snoRNA is mediated by the Box B/C motif of U3 and the WD40 repeats of U3-55k. Nucleic Acids Research 28: 3462-3471. Read Lukowiak et al. Lukowiak, A., Narayanan, A., Li, Z., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. The snoRNA domain of human telomerase RNA functions to localize the RNA within the nucleus. RNA, 7:1833-1844. Read Lukowiak et al. This paper was recommended to members of Faculty of 1000 by Dr. Pam Silver (Harvard University). Andrew was in our lab 3 years and is currently Associate Vice President for Product Development at Third Wave Technologies in Madison, Wisconsin.

Kevin Jones, M.S.

Kevin characterized the interaction between the Box C/D snoRNP protein fibrillarin and SMN. The survival motor neuron (SMN) protein is linked with one of the most common inheritable causes of childhood mortality, spinal muscular atrophy. Kevin's work revealed a potential role of SMN in snoRNP biogenesis and function. His three publications had a total impact factor over 20 and have been cited more than 100 times. Lukowiak, A., Granneman, S., Mattox, S., Speckmann, W., Jones, K., Pluk, H., van Venrooij, W., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2000) Interaction of the U3-55k protein with U3 snoRNA is mediated by the Box B/C motif of U3 and the WD40 repeats of U3-55k. Nucleic Acids Research 28: 3462-3471. Read Lukowiak et al. Jones, K.W., Gorzynski, K., Hales, C.M., Fischer, U., Badbanchi, F., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. Direct interaction of the spinal muscular atrophy disease protein SMN with the core snoRNP protein fibrillarin. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276:38645-38651. Read Jones et al. Whitehead SE, Jones KW, Zhang X, Cheng X, Terns RM, Terns MP. (2002) Determinants of the interaction of the spinal muscular atrophy disease protein SMN with the dimethylarginine-modified Box H/ACA snoRNP protein GAR1. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277(50):48087-93. Read Whitehead et al. Kevin was in our lab for 2 years. He now puts his many talents to work at an innovative architectural firm in Richmond, Virginia.

Sarah Whitehead Finch, Ph.D.

Sarah investigated the role of SMN in snoRNA biogenesis and transport. She identified and dissected an interaction between the spinal muscular atrophy disease protein SMN and the H/ACA snoRNP protein GAR1. Her work suggests that SMN functions in the assembly of H/ACA snoRNPs. NIH Training Grant in Genetics UGA Dissertation Completion Assistantship ARCS Foundation Scholarship. She presented her work at the 2003 Families of SMA Conference and the 2004 CSH meeting on Dynamic Organization of Nuclear Function. Whitehead SE, Jones KW, Zhang X, Cheng X, Terns RM, Terns MP. (2002) Determinants of the interaction of the spinal muscular atrophy disease protein SMN with the dimethylarginine-modified Box H/ACA snoRNP protein GAR1. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277(50):48087-93. Read Whitehead et al. This paper was recommended to members of Faculty of 1000 by Dr. Greg Matera (Case Western Reserve University). Finch, S.E.W., Polach, K.J., Adolf, E.I., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. The Survival of Motor Neurons Protein is Required for Accumulation of Mature Small Nucleolar RNAs, in preparation. Sarah received a Ph.D. in Genetics in 2006 and is currently a postdoctoral scientist at the Rothberg Institute for Childhood Diseases.

Dan Baker, Ph.D.

B.S. in Chemistry from Georgia Tech - Hope Scholar, Georgia Governors' Scholar, Presidential Scholar (awarded to top 1% of students) and President of Lambda Chi Alpha. Past-President of the UGA Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Student Association. Dan is studied RNA-protein complexes in eukaryotes and archaea. His work provided the first detailed information about the organization of a functional H/ACA RNP. This five component complex carries out RNA-guided modifications and is also an essential part of telomerase. He presented his work at the 2004 RNA Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin and 2005 RNA Tool and Target: Small RNAs and RNPs Meeting. Won 2006 Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute Travel Award for Best Poster in Molecular Medicine. Baker, D.L., Youssef, O.A., Chastkofsky, M.I.R., Dy, D., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. (2005) RNA-Guided RNA Modification:Functional Organization of the Archaeal H/ACA RNP. Genes & Development, 19(10):1238-48. Read Baker et al. This paper was recommended to members of Faculty of 1000 by Dr. Gabriele Varani (University of Washington). Rashid, R., Liang, B., Baker, D.L., Youssef, O.A., He, Y., Phipps, K., Terns, R.M., Terns, M.P., Li, H. (2006) Crystal Structure of a Cbf5-Nop10-Gar1 Complex and Implications in RNA-Guided Pseudouridylation and Dyskeratosis Congenita. Molecular Cell, 21(2):249-60. Read Rashid et al. Baker, D.L., Seyfried, N.T., Li, H., Orlando, R., Terns, R.M., Terns, M.P. Determination of protein-RNA interaction sites in the Cbf5-H/ACA guide RNA complex by mass spectrometric protein footprinting, Biochemistry, in press. Read Baker et al. Dan was recently awarded his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and was selected for the competitive TI:GER M.B.A. program at Georgia Tech.

Rebecca Tomlinson, Ph.D.

B.S. in Biochemistry from LSU. Rebecca was supported by the NIH Training Grant in Genetics and was awarded an ARCS Foundation Scholarship. She studied telomerase biogenesis and transport. She presented her work at the 2003 CSH meeting on Telomeres and Telomerase, the 2004 RNA Meeting (Madison), the 2004 American Association of Cancer Research Meeting on The Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer (San Francisco) and the 2005 CSH Meeting on Telomeres and Telomerase. Zhu, Y., Tomlinson, R., Lukowiak, A., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2003) Telomerase RNA Accumulates in Cajal bodies in Human Cancer Cells. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 15(1):81-90. Read Zhu et al. Tomlinson, R.L., Ziegler, T.D., Supakorndej, T., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. (2005) Cell cycle regulated trafficking of human telomerase to telomeres. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 17(2):955-65. Read Tomlinson et al. This paper was recommended to members of Faculty of 1000 by Dr. Joachim Lingner (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research - ISREC). Tomlinson, R., Abreu, E., Ziegler, T., Ly, H., Counter, C., Terns, R.M., Terns, M.P. (2008) Telomerase reverse transcriptase is required for the localization of telomerase RNA to Cajal bodies and telomeres in human cancer cells, Molecular Biology of the Cell, in press.

Maggie (Hui) Qiu, Ph.D.

B.S. from Wuhan University, China. Maggie was awarded a UGA University Wide Fellowship. She identified genes involved in the transport of C/D and H/ACA snoRNAs in yeast. She presented her work at the 2004 CSH meeting on Dynamic Organization of Nuclear Function and 2005 RNA Tool and Target: Small RNAs and RNPs Meeting in Research Triangle Park, NC. Qiu, H., Eifert, J., Wacheul, L., Thiry, M., Berger, A.C., Woolford, J.L., Corbett, A.H., Lafontaine, D.L.J., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. Identification of genes that function in the biogenesis and localization of small nucleolar RNAs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Molecular Cellular & Biology, 28(11):3686-99. Read Qiu et al.. Qui, H., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. Defining the Temporal and Spatial Pathway for snoRNA Trafficking to Nucleoli, in preparation. Qui, H., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. Nonessential Genes Important in the Intranuclear Trafficking of U3 snoRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in preparation. Maggie is now a postdoctoral scientist at the University of California - San Diego.

POSTDOCTORAL SCIENTISTS

Yusheng Zhu, Ph.D.

Telomerase is inactive in most adult tissues but active in essentially all human cancers. Yusheng obtained the first glimpse of the subcellular localization of telomerase in human cells. He found that telomerase RNA accumulates in Cajal bodies in cancer cells, which may reflect the active production of telomerase in these cells. Yusheng's two publications had a total impact factor over 12 and have been cited over 95 times. Etheridge KT, Banik SS, Armbruster BN, Zhu Y, Terns RM, Terns MP, Counter CM. (2002) The nucleolar localization domain of the catalytic subunit of human telomerase. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277(27):24764-70. Read Etheridge et al. Zhu, Y., Tomlinson, R., Lukowiak, A., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2003) Telomerase RNA Accumulates in Cajal bodies in Human Cancer Cells. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 15(1):81-90. Read Zhu et al. Yusheng was in our lab 2 1/2 years and is now Assistant Professor of Pathology and Director of Clinical Chemistry & Toxicology at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Natalia Starostina, Ph.D.

Ph.D. from Russian Academy of Sciences. Natalia took advantage of the facile biochemistry of hyperthermophilic archaea to investigate RNA modification guide RNPs. Natalia's two publications had a total impact factor over 13. Deng L, Starostina NG, Liu ZJ, Rose JP, Terns RM, Terns MP, Wang BC. (2004) Structure determination of fibrillarin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 315(3):726-32. Read Deng et al. Starostina, N.G., Marshburn, S., Johnson, L.S., Eddy, S.R., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P., (2004) Circular Box C/D RNAs in Pyrococcus furiosus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(39):14097-101. Read Starostina et al. Natalia was in our laboratory for 3 years and is now on the research faculty in the Department of Cellular Biology at the University of Georgia.

Zhu-Hong Li, Ph.D.

Ph.D. from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College. ZhuHong studied the biogenesis and transport of small nucleolar RNAs including telomerase, a key enzyme in human cancer and aging. In 2003, he received a Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute travel award for Outstanding Poster in Molecular Medicine. Zhu-Hong attended the 2002 RNA Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin and the 2005 Cold Spring Harbor Meeting on Telomeres and Telomerase. His four publications had a total impact factor over 33 and have been cited over 100 times. Lukowiak, A., Narayanan, A., Li, ZH, Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2001) The snoRNA domain of human telomerase RNA functions to localize the RNA within the nucleus. RNA, 7:1833-1844. Read Lukowiak et al. This paper was recommended to members of Faculty of 1000 by Dr. Pam Silver (Harvard University). Speckmann, W., Li, Z-H., Lowe, T., Eddy, S., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. (2002) Archaeal Guide RNAs Function in rRNA Modification in the Eukaryotic Nucleus. Current Biology, 12(3):199-203. Read Speckmann et al. Cahill NM, Friend K, Speckmann W, Li ZH, Terns RM, Terns MP, Steitz JA. (2002) Site-specific cross-linking analyses reveal an asymmetric protein distribution for a box C/D snoRNP. EMBO Journal, 21(14):3816-28. Read Cahill et al. Zhao, X., Li, Z.-H., Terns, R. M., Terns, M. P., and Yu, Y.-T. (2002) An H/ACA guide RNA directs U2 pseudouridylation at two different sites in the branch point recognition region in Xenopus oocytes. RNA, 8(12):1515-25. Read Zhao et al. Zhu-Hong is currently on the research faculty in the Department of Cellular Biology at the University of Georgia.

Kevin Polach, Ph.D.

Ph.D. from Jon Widom's laboratory at Northwestern University. Kevin also did postdoctoral research with Olke Uhlenbeck at the University of Colorado on the RNA helicase DbpA. Kevin was supported by an award to our laboratory from the Nora L. Redman Fund to study the etiology and treatment of childhood diseases. He investigated the function of SMN, the protein affected in children with spinal muscular atrophy, in motor neurons, the cell type affected in this neuromuscular disease. Kevin attended the 2005 Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Conference in Philadelphia and 2005 RNA Tool and Target: Small RNAs and RNPs Meeting in Research Triangle Park, NC. Finch, S.E.W., Polach, K.J., Adolf, E.I., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. The Survival of Motor Neurons Protein is Required for Accumulation of Mature Small Nucleolar RNAs, in preparation.

RESEARCH STAFF
(incomplete list)

In Memoriam 2003

Sharon provided the foundation for our work for 5 years. She "retired" to her family and farm in 2001. Lukowiak, A., Granneman, S., Mattox, S., Speckmann, W., Jones, K., Pluk, H., van Venrooij, W., Terns, R. M., and Terns, M. P. (2000) Interaction of the U3-55k protein with U3 snoRNA is mediated by the Box B/C motif of U3 and the WD40 repeats of U3-55k. Nucleic Acids Research 28: 3462-3471. Read Lukowiak et al.

Tania Ziegler Tania was a member of the telomerase research group. Tomlinson, R.L., Ziegler, T.D., Supakorndej, T., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. (2005) Cell cycle regulated trafficking of human telomerase to telomeres. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 17(2):955-65. Read Tomlinson et al. Tomlinson, R., Abreu, E., Ziegler, T., Ly, H., Counter, C., Terns, R.M., Terns, M.P. Telomerase reverse transcriptase is required for the localization of telomerase RNA to Cajal bodies and telomeres in human cancer cells, submitted. She is currently pursuing an M.D.

Jennifer investigated small RNAs in archaea in our lab and is now working toward a Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases.

Adam worked in our lab as an independent high school student to learn about biomedical research.

B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Georgia. Volunteered with Full-Plate, a prepared-food rescue organization that takes food from local businesses and redistributes the food to shelters in the Athens-Clarke County Area. Enjoys traveling, running, reading, and coffee. Emem studied the cell-cycle regulated trafficking of telomerase in cancer cells. Cristofari, G., Adolf, E., Reichenbach, P., Sikora, K., Terns, R.M., Terns, M.P., and Lingner J. (2007) Human telomerase RNA accumulation in Cajal bodies facilitates telomerase recruitment to telomeres and telomere elongation. Molecular Cell, 27(6):882-9. Read Cristofari et al. Currently in medical school at the University of Chicago.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
(incomplete list)

Undergraduate in Biology and Genetics at the University of Georgia. Tim was a National Merit Scholar, Georgia Governor's Honors Scholar and Ramsey Honors Scholar. He was awarded a CURO Biomedical Research Fellowship to support his work in our laboratory. Tim investigated telomerase in normal and cancer cells. Tomlinson, R.L., Ziegler, T.D., Supakorndej, T., Terns, R.M., and Terns, M.P. (2005) Cell cycle regulated trafficking of human telomerase to telomeres. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 17(2):955-65. Read Tomlinson et al. In 2006, Tim was awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. He is currently pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis.

Michael and Rebecca Terns
The University of Georgia
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Life Sciences Building
Athens, Georgia 30602