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Michael Culbertson

Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology

Address:

435B Bock Labs

Telephone:

262-5388

Email:

mrculber@wisc.edu

Research Fields:

Yeast and Fungi

Genomics

Gene Expression

Research Interests

Post-transcriptional control of gene expression in yeast

Research Description

I am interested in mechanisms of post-transcription regulation of gene expression. We discovered and continue to study an mRNA decay pathway in yeast known as nonsense mediated mRNA decay (NMD). This pathway requires nuclear and cytoplasmic components. NMD monitors errors in gene expression that lead to premature termination of translatiaon (RNA surveillance). NMD also regulates expression of a subset of several hundred yeast genes many of which are important for the structure and transmission of chromosomes and for cell surface components involved in sensing the extracellular environment. I am also interested in the nuclear RNA/DNA helicase Sen1p, which functions in transcription, DNA repair, and RNA processing. SEN1 is the ortholog of human SETX, which has been implicated in Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Representative Publications

• Guan, Q., Zheng, W., Tang, S., Liu, X., Zinkel, R.A., Tsui, K.W., Yandell, B.S., and M.R. Culbertson. 2006. Impact of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay on the global expression profile of budding yeast. PLoS Genetics. 2:1924-1943.
• Ford, A., Q. Guan, E. Neeno-Eckwall, and M.R. Culbertson. 2006. Ebs1p: a global negative regulator of gene expression controlled by the Upf proteins in yeast. Eukaryotic Cell 5:301-312.
• Culbertson, M.R., and E. Neeno-Eckwall. 2005. Transcript selection and the recruitment of mRNA decay factors for NMD in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. RNA 11:1333-1339.
• Ursic, D., K. Chinchilla, J.S. Finkel, and M.R. Culbertson. 2004. Multiple protein/protein and protein/RNA interactions suggest roles for yeast DNA/RNA helicase Sen1p in transcription, transcription-coupled DNA repair, and RNA processing. Nucleic Acids Res 32:2441-2452.
• Dahlseid, J.N., J. Lew-Smith, M.J. Lelivelt, S. Enomoto, A. Ford, M. Desruisseaux, M. McClellan, N. Lue, M.R. Culbertson, and J. Berman. 2003. mRNAs encoding telomerase components and regulators are controlled by the UPF genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Eukaryotic Cell 2:134-142.