Jun Ge, Ph.D. 2008

Thesis (2002-2008): "Role of MuB is selecting transposition targets of bacteriophage Mu"

J. Ge and R. M. Harshey. 2008. Congruence of in vivo and in vitro insertion patterns in hot E. coli gene targets of transposable element Mu: Opposing roles of MuB in target capture and integration. J. Mol. Biol. 380: 598-607.

Zhiqi Yin, Ph.D. 2006

Thesis (2001-2006): "Identification of two topologically distinct Mu transpososomes: contribution of cis and trans elements to DNA topology"

Z. Yin, M. Jayaram, S. Pathania and R. M. Harshey. 2005. The Mu transposase interwraps distant DNA sites within a functional transpososome in the absence of DNA supercoiling. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 6149-56.

Z. Yin and R. M. Harshey. 2005. Enhancer-independent Mu transposition from two topologically distinct synapses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 18884-18889.

Z. Yin, A. Suzuki, Z. Lou, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 2007. Interactions of phage Mu enhancer and termini that specify the assembly of a topologically unique interwrapped transpososome. J. Mol. Biol. 372: 382-396.

Awards: University Fellowship for Excellence in Research.

Life After Ph.D.: Postdoc at the Molecular Virology & Structural Biology Labs in NIH, Bethesda, MD.

Shailja Pathania, Ph.D. 2002

Thesis (1997-2002): "Path of DNA within Mu transpososomes: Order, Dynamics and Topology of Mu end-Enhancer Interactions"

S. Pathania, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 2002. Path of DNA within the Mu transpososome: Transposase interactions bridging two Mu ends and the transposition enhancer trap five DNA supercoils. Cell, 109: 425-436.

I. Grainge, S. Pathania, A. Vologodskii, R. M. Harshey and M. Jayaram. 2002. Symmetric DNA sites are functionally asymmetric within Flp and Cre site-specific DNA recombination synapses. J. Mol. Biol., 320: 515-27.

S. Pathania, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 2003. A unique right end-enhancer complex precedes synapsis of Mu ends: The enhancer is sequestered within the transpososome throughout transposition. EMBO J. 22: 3725-3736.

T. K. Au, S. Pathania and R. M. Harshey. 2004. True reversal of Mu integration. EMBO J.

Awards: University Fellowship for Excellence in Research.

         Jim Allison Outstanding Alumnus award.

         Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Life After Ph.D.: Postdoc at Dana Farber Cancer Inst, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Insuk Lee, Ph.D. 2002

Thesis (1997-2002): "Importance of the Conserved TG/CA Dinucleotide Termini in Phage Mu Transposition: Similarities to Transposable Elements in the Human Genome"

I. Lee and R. M.  Harshey. 2001. Importance of the conserved CA dinucleotide at Mu termini. J. Mol. Biol. 314: 443-454.

I. Lee and R. M.  Harshey. 2003. The conserved CA/TG motif at Mu termini: T specifies stable transpososome assembly. J. Mol. Biol. 330: 261-275.

I. Lee and R. M.  Harshey. 2003. Patterns of sequence conservation at the termini of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons and DNA transposons in the human genome: Lessons from phage Mu. Nuc. Acids Res. 31: 4531-4540.

Life After Ph.D.: Postdoc in the field of Genomics/Bioinformatics at UT Austin.

Current Position: Asst. Prof. at Yonsei University, S. Korea.

Hong Jiang, MA. 1999

Thesis (1997-1999): "Criss-crossed interactions between the enhancer and the att sites of Mu during DNA transposition"

H. Jiang, J-Y. Yang and R. M. Harshey. 1999. Criss-crossed interactions between the enhancer and the att sites of phage Mu during DNA transposition. EMBO J. 18: 3845-3855.

S. Mariconda, S-Y. Namgoong, K-H. Yoon, H. Jiang and R. M. Harshey. 2000. Domain III function of Mu transposase analyzed by directed placement of subunits within the transpososome. J. Biosci. 25:101-114.

H. Jiang and R. M. Harshey. 2001. The Mu enhancer is functionally asymmetric both in cis and in trans: topological selectivity of Mu transposition is enhancer independent. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 4373-4381. 

Current Position: Scientist, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Boston, MA. 

Soon-Young Namgoong, Ph.D. 1998

Thesis (1993-1998): "Catalytic contributions of individual transposase monomers within the tetramer during Mu transposition"

S-Y. Namgoong, M. Jayaram, K. Kim and R. M. Harshey. 1994. DNA-protein cooperativity in the assembly and stabilization of Mu strand transfer complex: Relevance of DNA phasing and att site cleavage. J. Mol. Biol. 238: 514-527.

K. Kim, S-Y. Namgoong, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 1995. Step-arrest mutants of phage Mu transposase : Implications in nucleoprotein assembly, DNA cleavage and strand transfer. J. Biol. Chem. 270: 1472-1479.

Z. Wang, S-Y. Namgoong, X. Zhang, and R. M. Harshey. 1996. Kinetic and structural probing of the precleavage synaptic (Type0) formed during phage Mu transposition: Action of metal ions and reagents specific to single-stranded DNA. J. Biol. Chem.271:9619-9626.

S-Y. Namgoong, K. Kim, P. Saxena, J-Y. Yang, M. Jayaram, D. P. Giedroc and R. M. Harshey. 1998. Mutational analysis of domain IIb of Mu transposase: domains IIa and IIb belong to different catalytic complementation groups. J. Mol. Biol. 275: 221-232.

S-Y. Namgoong, S. Sankaralingam and R. M. Harshey. 1998. Altering the DNA binding specificity of Mu transposase invitro. Nuc Acids Res. 26: 3521-3527.

S-Y. Namgoong and R. M. Harshey. 1998. The same two monomers within a MuA tetramer provide the DDE domains for the strand cleavage and strand transfer steps of transposition. EMBO J. 17: 3775-3785.

S. Mariconda, S-Y. Namgoong, K-H. Yoon, H. Jiang and R. M. Harshey. 2000. Domain III function of Mu transposase analyzed by directed placement of subunits within the transpososome. J. Biosci. 25:101-114.

Awards: University Fellowship for Excellence in Research.

Life After Ph.D.: Postdoc at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and Tularik, San Francisco.

Current Position: Scientist at Bio-Rad, San Francisco.

Keetae Kim, Ph.D. 1995

Thesis (1990-1995): "Identification of Mu transposase residues important in att DNA recognition, catalysis and assembly of the active transposase tetramer: Structure-function studies"

K. Kim, S-Y. Namgoong, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 1995. Step-arrest mutants of phage Mu transposase : Implications in nucleoprotein assembly, DNA cleavage and strand transfer. J. Biol. Chem. 270: 1472-1479.

K. Kim and R. M. Harshey. 1995. Mutational analysis of the att DNA-binding domain of phage Mu transposase. Nucleic Acids Res. 23: 3937-3943.

J-Y. Yang, K. Kim, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 1995. A domain sharing model for active site assembly within the Mu A tetramer during transposition:The enhancer may specify domain contributions. EMBO J. 14: 2374-2384.

S-Y Namgoong, K. Kim, P. Saxena, J-Y. Yang, M. Jayaram, D. P. Giedroc and R. M. Harshey. 1998. Mutational analysis of domain IIb of Mu transposase: domains IIa and IIb belong to different catalytic complementation groups. J. Mol. Biol. 275: 221-232.

Life After Ph.D.: Postdoc and Senior Research Associate at Harvard Medical School.

Current Position: Senior Scientist at Rexahn Biotech, Rockville, MD.

Jin-Ying Yang, Ph.D. 1995

Thesis (1990-1995): "Active site assembly of phage Mu transposase: Role of the transposition enhancer"

J-Y. Yang, K. Kim, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 1995. A domain sharing model for active site assembly within the Mu A tetramer during transposition:The enhancer may specify domain contributions. EMBO J. 14: 2374-2384.

J-Y. Yang, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 1995. Enhancer-independent variants of phage Mu transposase: Enhancer-specific stimulation of catalytic activity by a partner transposase. Genes Dev. 9: 2545-2555.

J-Y. Yang, M. Jayaram and R. M. Harshey. 1996. Positional information within the Mu transposase tetramer: catalytic contributions of individual monomers. Cell 85: 447-455.

S-Y Namgoong, K. Kim, P. Saxena, J-Y. Yang, M. Jayaram, D. P. Giedroc and R. M. Harshey. 1998. Mutational analysis of domain IIb of Mu transposase: domains IIa and IIb belong to different catalytic complementation groups. J. Mol. Biol. 275: 221-232.

H. Jiang, J-Y. Yang and R. M. Harshey. 1999. Criss-crossed interactions between the enhancer and the att sites of phage Mu during DNA transposition. EMBO J. 18: 3845-3855.

Awards: Nat Sternberg award for best thesis in prokaryotic molecular genetics in the US in 1995-1996.

Life After Ph.D.: Postdoc, Aaron Diamond Institute for AIDS research, Rockefeller Inst., New York. MBA at UT Austin (1999). Current Position: Market analyst at Goldman-Sachs, New York.

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