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Christina Thomas

Graduate Student, Biomolecular Chemistry

B.S. in Biochemistry, Summa Cum Laude, North Carolina State University, 1996
B.S. in Biological Sciences, Summa Cum Laude, North Carolina State University, 1996
B.A. in Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude, North Carolina State University, 1996

Address: Rm. 325 Zoology Research Bldg.; 1117 W. Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706

Phone: (608) 265-2520

Email: clthoma1@students.wisc.edu

Research Interests:

During the development of C. elegans, embryos undergo a process called ventral enclosure in which epithelial cells migrate to the ventral midline to form adhesive junctions. Our lab is interested in identifying molecules that have a direct role in this event. I study ZEN-4, a member of the MKLP-1 subfamily of kinesin motor proteins. Embryos homozygous for the null allele zen-4(w35) fail to complete ventral enclosure. This is the first time a kinesin motor protein has been shown to have unique role other than in mitosis. I wish to further characterize its role in epithelial cells. I am also characterizing another mutant, JC5, that is defective in ventral enclosure. This mutant was isolated in a screen by Jeff Simske, using EMS as the mutagen.

Publications:

Scott, I. C., Blitz, I. L., Pappano, W. N., Imamura, Y., Clark, T.G., Steiglitz, B.M.,
Thomas, C. L., Maas, S. A., Cho, K. W., and Greenspan, D. S. (1999).
Differential enzymatic activities and expression patterns of mammalian
BMP-1/Tolloid-related metalloproteinases, including novel family member,
mammalian Tolloid-like 2. Dev. Biol., in press.

Mott, J.D., Thomas, C.L., Rosenbach, M.T., Takahara, K., Greenspan, D.S., Banda,
M.J. (1999) Processing of Procollagen C-Terminal Proteinase Enhancer Releases a
Metalloproteinase Inhibitor. J. Biol. Chem., submitted.

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