Derek Taylor, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Phone:
(216) 368-0684
Fax:
216-368-1300
E-mail:
derek.taylor@case.edu
W151C Wood Building
Mt. Sinai Scholar
B.S.: Fort Lewis College, Durango CO
Ph.D.: University of California, San Diego
Research Interest
Regulation – and deregulation – of gene expression are critical events for every
process within the cell. Alteration of these intricate processes, for example as
consequences of genetic defects or bacterial/viral infections, can readily lead
to one of many human ailments. The control of these processes is commonly modulated
by multi-protein complexes; in fact, proteins rarely act alone, but interact intimately
and precisely with other proteins and nucleic acids to properly perform their cellular
functions. My laboratory studies the structure and molecular mechanisms of macromolecular
machines involved in DNA maintenance and RNA maturation and biogenesis. We use cryo-electron
microscopy and single particle reconstruction techniques as a primary tool for visualizing
these complexes and, thus, to better understand their functions.
Selected publications
Krokowski, D., Gaccioli, F., Majumder, M., Mullins, M.R., Yuan, C.L., Papadopoulou, B., Merrick, W.C., Komar, A.A., Taylor, D., & Hatzaglou, M. (2011) Characterization of hibernating ribosomes in mammalian cells. Cell Cycle. 10(16):1-12.
Taylor, D.J., Podell, E.R., Taatjes, D.J., & Cech, T.R. (2011) Multiple POT1-TPP1 proteins coat and compact long telomeric single-stranded DNA. J. Mol. Biol. 2011. 410:10-17.
Speir, J.A., Taylor, D.J., Natarajan, P., Pringle, F.M., Ball, L.A. & Johnson J. E. (2010) Evolution in Action: N and C Termini of Related T=4 Viruses Exchange Roles as Molecular Switches. Submitted to Structure.
Taylor, D. J., Devkota, B., Huang, A., Topf, M., Narayanan, E., Sali, A., Harvey, S., & Frank, J. (2009) Comprehensive Molecular Structure of the Eukaryotic Ribosome. Structure. 17:11591-1604
Shi, Y., Campigli Di Giammartino,D., Taylor, D., Sarkeshik, A., Rice, W.J., Yates III, J.R., Frank, J., & Manley, J.L. (2009) Molecular Architecture of the Human pre-mRNA 3’ Processing Complex. Mol. Cell. 33:365-376.
Grassucci, R. A.,Taylor, D. J., and Frank, J. (2008) Preparation of Macromolecular Complexes used in Cryo-Electron Microscopy. Nat Protoc. 3:330-339.
Grassucci, R. A.,Taylor, D. J., and Frank, J. (2007) Visualization of Macromolecular Complexes Cryo- Electron Microscopy with FEI Tecnai TEMs. Nat Protoc. 2:3239-3246.
Frank, J., Gao, H., Sengupta, J., Gao, N., andTaylor, D.J. (2007) The process of mRNA-tRNA Translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 104:19671-8.
Taylor, D.J., Nilsson, J., Merrill, A.R., Andersen, G.R., Nissen, P., and Frank, J. (2007) Structures of modified eEF2•80S ribosome complexes reveals the role of GTP hydrolysis in translocation. EMBO J. 26: 2421 – 2431.