Current Members
| Name | Degree | Project | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Tanya Prashar | PhD Candidate | The first goal of my project is to investigate the signaling pathways activated in response to pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) expression in yeast. PAP depurinates ribosomal RNA (rRNA), inducing ribosomal stress by specifically targeting the highly conserved sarcin-ricin loop (SRL) in the 25S rRNA. I aim to characterize the signaling pathways activated in response to this damage to better understand how cells detect and respond to the rRNA damage during translation. The second goal of my project is to examine the downstream consequences of PAP expression, particularly the mechanisms of cell death it triggers. To address this, I will perform RNA sequencing to determine the global changes in gene expression, focusing on stress response pathways and genes involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) and mitochondrial dysfunction. Overall, this work will provide insight into both the stress signaling pathways initiated by SRL damage and the broader transcriptional reprogramming and cellular outcomes resulting from PAP induced 25S rRNA damage. |
 | Annabelle Audet | PhD Student | My project is focused on studying pokeweed's reaction to an infection by pokeweed mosaic virus (PkMV). I am analyzing transcriptome data obtained from RNA sequencing to see what genes are up- and/or down-regulated during a PkMV infection. The patterns of gene expression will be correlated with distinct stages of the virus life cycle that I will visualize with confocal microscopy. I will also be looking at the host-viral protein interaction to see how the virus may be manipulating host proteins to their advantage. My results will provide a better understanding as to why a plant that produces an antiviral protein can be infected by a virus. |
 | Foram Odedara | Honors Thesis Student | Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) removes an adenine base from the 25S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), which slows translation. It is unknown whether cells compensate for this rRNA damage by increasing ribosome production to continue protein synthesis. My goal is to investigate the effects of PAP-induced 25S rRNA depurination on ribosome biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I will use PAPx (non-enzymatic mutant) and an empty vector (EV) as negative controls. Firstly, I will perform 4-thiouracil (4Tu) labeling of cells to measure the synthesis of new rRNA. This assay will allow me to examine levels of processed rRNA and its intermediates to determine whether PAP impacts rRNA processing. Secondly, I will measure the expression of ribosome biogenesis (Ribi) genes using qRT-PCR. Given that PAP expression activates TORC1 signaling, I hypothesize that PAP-induced rRNA depurination will lead to increased rRNA synthesis and enhanced expression of Ribi genes. My work will provide insights on whether the cells respond to rRNA damage by making more ribosomes. |
 | Princes Zaragosa | Honors Thesis Student | For this Honours thesis project, I am investigating host-virus interactions in Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) using a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screen. Despite the synthesis of pokeweed antiviral protein, the pokeweed plant is susceptible to infection by Pokeweed mosaic virus (PkMV), a potyvirus. I will begin by constructing a pokeweed cDNA library to serve as the bait in the screen. The viral proteins VPg and NIb from PkMV will be cloned into the prey vector and co-transformed into yeast along with the bait library. Positive yeast colonies indicating potential host interactors of VPg or NIb will be isolated, and the corresponding cDNA inserts identified. To confirm the interactions, I will re-test each candidate interactor using pairwise Y2H assays. This work will provide new insights into the host factors targeted by PkMV in pokeweed, contributing to our understanding of potyvirus infection in non-model plants. |
Past Graduate Members
| Name and Degree Received | Graduating Year | Research Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Annabelle Audet, MSc | 2024 | Characterization of a cysteine protease in pokeweed |
| Kyra Dougherty, MSc | 2023 | Stress response of pokeweed and phylogeny of RIPs |
| Fernand de La Selle, MSc | 2022 | Characterization of the function, activity and structure of KPAP |
| Jennifer Chivers, MSc | 2022 | Identification of the PAP interactome |
| Alexander Klenov, PhD | 2020 | Response of pokeweed to infection by PkMV |
| Kira Neller, PhD | 2019 | Characterization of defense associated gene expression in pokeweed |
| Camille Diaz, MSc | 2019 | Characterization of PAP promoter and long leader intron |
| Kass Jobst, MSc | 2015 | Binding determinant of HIV Rev to PAP |
| Gabriela Krivdova, MSc | 2014 | Inhibition of HIV Vif by PAP |
| Rajita Karran, PhD | 2012 | Elements of BMV replication and encapsidation |
| Alice Zhabokritsky, MSc | 2012 | PAP alters HIV splicing and translation |
| Meherzad Kutky, MSc | 2012 | Regulation of HIV transcription by PAP |
| Lydia Burns, MSc | 2011 | Regulation of PAP by a small RNA and pseudogene |
| Sheila Mansouri, PhD | 2010 | Effects of PAP on human retroviruses |
| Paulina Sarzala, MSc | 2009 | Mutations of ribosomal proteins and their effect on depurination |
| Rajita Karran, MSc | 2008 | Effect of depurination on replication of BMV |
| Mahira Manzoor, MSc | 2008 | Effects of depurination on BMV |
| Marina Tourlakis, MSc | 2007 | PAP expression in pokeweed |
| Kelvin Chan Tung, MSc | 2007 | Ribotoxicity of PAP |
| Emad Nourollahzadeh, MSc | 2006 | Effect of ribosome conformation on PAP activity in yeast |
| Sheila Mansouri, MSc | 2006 | Mutations of ribosomal protein L3 increase resistance to PAP |
| Rikesh Gandhi, MSc | 2005 | PAP inhibits BMV accumulation and translation |
| Melan Wang, MSc | 2004 | PAP interacts with plant translation initiation factors |
Past Undergraduate Members
Since 2017
| Name | Year | Research Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Yesha Patel | 2025 | Yeast cell death |
| Mousa Abu Halimeh | 2025 | PkMV infection in tobacco |
| Amir Hassanpour | 2025 | PAP activation of mTOR in yeast |
| Joseph Albano | 2024 | PAP expression in yeast |
| Yael Kvint | 2024 | PaCP1 expression in pokeweed |
| Mariia Sushchenko | 2023 | PAP expression in yeast |
| Ahoo Moazenzadeh | 2022 | Transcriptional control of PAP |
| Silvya Sidarous | 2021 | Depurination of mRNA |
| Ryan Borotra | 2020 | Computational analysis of 5'UTRs of pokeweed genes |
| Kyra Dougherty | 2020 | cis regulatory elements in the pokeweed genome |
| Tofunmi Olowogorioye | 2019 | PAP alternate transcription start site |
| Jayshana Malloo | 2019 | Purification and characterization of reverse transcriptase |
| Jennifer Chivers | 2018 | Effect of the promoter and leader intron on PAP gene expression |
| Maryam Yazdi | 2018 | Viral RNA interaction with PAP |
| Nicholas Bragagnolo | 2017 | Activity of a novel PAP isoform |
