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Scripps Research Joint Appointments

Faculty, Kellogg School of Science and Technology

Research Focus

Role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in cellular regulation and disease

E3 ubiquitin ligases are the components that confer specificity to the ubiquitin system. Consistent with their critical role in cellular regulation, mutations affecting E3s can cause human disease—as illustrated by the cases of BRCA1 in breast cancer and of Parkin in Parkinsonism. Our laboratory is engaged in three main areas of research related to E3s:

1. We are interested in elucidating E3s' function and mechanisms. For this purpose, we utilize cell and molecular biology approaches with mammalian cells, mice and yeast; our expertise is complemented by close collaborations on structural biology, bioinformatics, mass spectrometry, next-generation sequencing, and fly models;
2. We utilize the information we learn from the above studies to develop assays that are amenable to high-throughput screening, which are then used to identify small molecule inhibitors of E3 ligases. Such compounds can then be both turned into tools to interrogate biology, and developed as pharmaceutical drug candidates;
3. We collaborate with clinicians to translate our basic research findings into therapeutically-relevant discoveries.

 

Education

M.S., University of Sao Paulo, 1990
Ph.D., University of California, San Diego, 1996

Awards & Professional Activities

Board member: Proteome Science (2003-present); Current Biodata, Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (2006-present). Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Career Development Award. 2000 American Cancer Society, Cancer Research Scholar. 2009-2012

Selected References

For a complete list of publications: http://www.scripps.edu/joazeiro/publications.html

Chu, J., Hong, N., Masuda, C., Jenkins, B., Nelms, K., Goodnow, C., Glynne, R., Wu, H., Masliah, E., Joazeiro, C.A.P. and Kay, S.A. 2009. A mouse forward genetics screen identifies LISTERIN as an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in neurodegeneration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA vol. 106: 2097-2103

Deshaies, R.J. and Joazeiro, C.A.P. 2009. RING Domain E3 Ubiquitin Ligases. Annual Review of Biochemistry vol. 78: 399-434

Li, W., Bengtson, M., Ulbrich, A., Matsuda, A., Orth, A., Chanda, S., Batalov, S. and Joazeiro, C.A.P. 2008. Genome-wide and Functional Annotation of Human E3 Ubiquitin Ligases Identifies MULAN, a Mitochondrial E3 that Regulates the Organelle’s Dynamics and Signaling. PLoS ONE vol. 3:e1487

Links

A Brand New MULAN Makes Her Debut

Claudio Joazeiro Wins American Cancer Society Grant

Sinalizador celular

Jornal da Ciência