Jeffrey Sabina, Postdoctoral Research Associate

Email:

jsabina@genetics.wustl.edu

Education:

1999 B.S., Biochemistry
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

2005 Ph.D., Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry
Yale University
Thesis:“Two different aspects of cell metabolism: (i) Recovery from growth inhibition in vivo, and (ii) the biochemical consequences of a split gene.”
Mentor:  Dieter Söll

Awards/Honors:

• 2006  Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (Postdoctoral fellowship)

Current Project/Interests:

Dissecting the transcriptional wiring of yeast's glucose sensing circuit.

Nearly all life depends on energy derived from glucose. The necessity to detect and respond to the presence of this ubiquitous monosaccharide in the environment has resulted in the evolution of sophisticated mechanisms for its efficient uptake and utilization. The yeast S. cerevisiae prefers to ferment glucose even in the presence of oxygen, a trait that it shares with certain tumor cells, even though oxidation would yield far more energy. This preference is not due to the absence of the enzymes used in oxidation, but to their stringent regulation by two interconnected pathways for glucose-mediated induction and repression of gene expression. Cross-pathway interactions endow this regulatory circuit with both feedback and feedforward controls that give the system the ability to respond rapidly and dynamically to changing levels of glucose. By disrupting and rewiring these control circuits, we hope to understand how the pathways are integrated, and add another level to our knowledge of one of yeast's most important regulatory circuits.

Publications:

1. Sabina, J., and Söll, D. (2006) The RNA-binding PUA domain of archaeal tRNA-guanine transglycosylase is not required for archaeosine formation. J. Biol.Chem. 281:6993-7001.
2. Sabina, J., Dover, N., Templeton, L.J., Smulski, D.R., Söll, D., and LaRossa, R.A. (2003) Interfering with different steps of protein synthesis explored by transcriptional profiling of Escherichia coli K-12. J. Bacteriol. 185:6158-70.
3. Mathews, D.H., Sabina, J., Zuker, M., and Turner, D.H. (1999) Expanded sequence dependence of thermodynamic parameters improves prediction of RNA secondary structure. J. Mol. Biol. 288:911-40.