Current Members
| Name | Degree | Project | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Tanya Prashar | PhD Candidate | The first goal of my project focuses on examining the expression and translatability of two PAP-I transcripts, differing in the lengths of the 5'UTR. My work will extend our previous knowledge about PAP-I expression levels under normal vs stress conditions and allow us to characterize the long 5'UTR containing transcript which may encode an antimicrobial peptide. The second goal of my project is to study the effect of PAP-I expression on cells. PAP-I activity causes ribosomal stress due to rRNA depurination. I am investigating the downstream signalling events that get activated upon PAP-I expression in response to stress to gain a better understanding of PAP function. Overall, my research will shed light on the role of RIPs in plant survival during stress. |
 | Annabelle Audet | MSc 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. |
 | Eren Yigit | MSc Student | I am interested in identifying whether PAP depurinates cellular RNAs in addition to rRNA and whether PAP selects specific sequences for depurination. To answer these questions, I am using a protocol we developed for transcriptome-wide identification of abasic RNA to identify novel depurination sites in mRNAs without prior knowledge of sequence or location. My results will help to characterize PAP activity and determine its effects on global gene expression |
 | Yael Kvint | Honours Thesis | My project focuses on identifying what RNAs bind PAP. I am performing RIP-Seq of RNAs immunoprecipitated with PAP to determine what cellular RNAs are targets of PAP. I am also testing whether PAP binds different RNAs during pokeweed infection with PkMV and if PAP binds any portion of viral RNA. I will validate identified RNAs with filter-binding assays which will also let me measure affinity of PAP for particular RNA sequences. |
 | Joseph Albano | Honours Thesis | My project involves characterizing the upstream open reading frames (uORFs) of an alternate PAP transcript. These uORFs may be translated into peptides and I am performing in silico analyses to predict whether these peptides would have antimicrobial activity. I am also assisting with analysis of mass spectroscopy data to identify these peptides from pokeweed. Peptides translated from uORFs of the PAP transcript may assist in defense against pathogens. |
Past Graduate Members
| Name and Degree Received | Graduating Year | Research Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
