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- 2023
- Audas Lab links the aggregation of pathological amyloids to a novel stress signaling pathway in recent Scientific Reports paper
- Beh lab shows how lipids regulate intracellular membrane contact in Journal of Biological Chemistry paper
- Congratulations to David Vocadlo: 2023 Distinguished SFU Professor
- Congratulations to Amy Lee: recipient of the 2023 Early Career Faculty Research Awards
- ILLUMINATING VIRAL PROTEIN SHEDS NEW LIGHT ON TREATMENT
- MBB researcher studying against the grain strategy to improve cancer treatment
- Congratulations to Dustin King, Amy Lee and David Vocadlo: recipients of New Frontiers in Research Fund
- SFU research aids fight against treatment-resistant superbugs
- Leroux lab Nature Communications paper identifies novel human disease gene linked to retinal degeneration, one of a growing number of genes associated with ciliary dysfunction (ciliopathies)
- Graduate student Minh Nguyen and his colleagues in the Craig lab reveal the mechanism of Type IV-pilus mediated bacterial secretion
- Global News BC: Dr. Fiona Brinkman Discusses How Scientists Track Mutations in the New Covid-19 Variants
- 2022
- Congratulations to Dr. Tim Audas on The Renewal of Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Cellular Stress
- $2 Million Gift From SFU Professors Emeriti Helps Seed New Ideas at SFU Science
- Learn more about Dr. King's new lab that focuses on natural ‘carbon capture’ solutions
- Congratulations to Dr. Amy Lee: The Recipient of The Banting Research Foundation's 2022 Discovery Award
- MBB Alumnus Profile: Meet Dr. Razvan Cojocaru, The Recipient of Governor General’s Gold Medal
- MBB Alumnus Profile: Meet Cory Macklin Who Overcame Challenges to Win Governor General's Silver Medal
- Congratulations to Dr. Razvan Cojocaru, the recipient of Dr. Bruce Brandhorst Prizes for Best Publication and Best PhD Thesis
- Meet Our Newest Faculty: Dr. Dustin King on His Exploration of Weaving Western Science with Indigenous Ways of Knowing
- Congratulations to our June 2022 Graduands
- Dr. Lynne Quarmby and Her Book "WaterMelon Snow: Science, Art, and a Lone Polar Bear" is Featured in SFU Knowledge Mobilizers Series
- Congratulations to our May 2022 Graduands
- Congratulations to Dr. Mani Larijani for Being Awarded a Prestigious New Frontiers in Research Fund Grant
- A New Paper from Beh Lab on ER-PM membrane contact site regulation by yeast ORPs and membrane stress pathways has been published in Plos Genetics Journal
- Dr. Lorena Braid is featured among new and renewed Canada Research Chairs
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Areas of interest
Membrane Biochemistry and Structural Biology; Regulation of Peripheral Membrane Proteins by Lipid Interactions
Regulatory enzymes that control metabolism are multi-domain structures whose catalytic sites are often suppressed by inter-domain interactions until some cellular signal binds and disrupts that inhibitory interaction. Many metabolic enzymes and signal-transducing proteins are regulated by membrane binding, which triggers an ON switch. One of these is CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT), which catalyzes a key regulatory step in phosphatidylcholine synthesis. Membrane binding and activation of CCT is promoted by increases in minor lipid species such as fatty acids and diacylglycerol, and by dephosphorylation of CCT. The conformational changes in the enzyme associated with its activation are being probed by X-ray diffraction, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, mass spec, and molecular dynamics simulations.
Education
- B.Sc., Houghton College
- Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Selected Publications
- Ramezanpour, M., Lee, J., Taneva, S., Tieleman, D.P., Cornell, R.B. (2018) An auto-inhibitory helix in CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase hijacks the catalytic residue and constrains a pliable, domain-bridging helix pair. J. Biol. Chem. 293: 7070-7084.
- Cornell, R.B. and Antonny, B. (2018) CCTalpha Commands Phospholipid Homeostasis from the Nucleus. Devel. Cell 45:419-420
- Cornell, R. B. (2016) Membrane lipid compositional sensing by the inducible amphipathic helix of CCT. Biochim. Biophys. Acta
- Cornell, R.B. and Ridgway, N.D. (2015) CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase: Function, regulation, and structure of an amphitropic enzyme required for membrane biogenesis. Prog. Lipid Res. 59: 147-171.
- Cornell, R. B., Ridgway, N.D. (2015) CTPhosphocholine cytidylyltransferase: Function, regulation, and structure of an amphitropic enzyme required for membrane biogenesis. Prog. Lipid. Res. 59: 147-171.
- Lee, J., Taneva, S.G., Holland, B., Tieleman, D.P., and Cornell, R.B. (2014) Structural basis for auto-inhibition of CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT), the regulatory enzyme in phosphatidylcholine synthesis. J. Biol. Chem. 289: 1742-1755.
- Chong, S. H., Taneva, S.G., Lee, J.M.C., and Cornell, R.B. (2014) The curvature sensitivity of membrane-binding amphipathic helices can be modulated by the charge on a flanking region. Biochemistry 53: 450-461.
- Huang, H.K-H., Taneva, S.G., Lee, J., Silva, L.P., Schriemer, D.C., and Cornell, R.B. (2013) The membrane-binding domain of an amphitropic enzyme suppresses catalysis by interaction with an amphipathic helix flanking its active site. J. Mol. Biol. 425: 1546-1564.
- Ding, Z., Taneva, S.G., Huang, H. K-H, Campbell, S.A., Semenec, L., Chen, N., Cornell, R.B. (2012) A 22mer segment in the structurally pliable regulatory domain of metazoan CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase facilitates both silencing and activating functions. J. Biol. Chem. 286: 38980-38991.
- Taneva, S.G. Lee, J.M.C. Cornell, R.B. (2012) The amphipathic helix of an enzyme that regulates phosphatidylcholine synthesis remodels membranes into highly curved nanotubules. Biochim. Biophys. Acta -Biomembranes, 1818:1173-1186.
- Dennis, M.K., Taneva, S.G., Cornell, R.B. (2011) The intrinsically disordered nuclear localization signal and phosphorylation segments distinguish the membrane affinity of two cytidylyltransferase isoforms. J. Biol. Chem. 286: 12349-12360.
- Zahedi, B., Beaulieu, N., Goo, H-J., Kay R. J., Cornell, R.B. (2011) Phosphoinositide detection by RasGRP1 directly couples the PI 3-kinase and Ras signaling pathways at the plasma membrane. J. Biol. Chem. 286:12712-12723.
- Jaeyong Lee, J.E. Johnson, Z. Ding, M. Paetzel, R. B. Cornell (2009) Crystal Structure of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase catalytic domain novel catalytic residues within a highly conserved transferase active site fold. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 33535-33548.
- Taneva, S.G., Dennis, M.K., Ding, Z., Smith, J.L., Cornell, R.B. (2008) Contribution of each membrane binding domain of the CTP: Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase-a dimer to its activation, membrane binding, and membrane cross-bridging. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 28137-28148.
- Gehrig, K., Cornell, R.B., Ridgway, N. (2008) Expansion of the nucleoplasmic reticulum requires the coordinated activity of lamins and CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase-a.Molec. Biol. Cell. 19: 237-47.
- Cornell, R.B. and Taneva, S. (2006) Amphipathic helices as mediators of the membrane interaction of amphitropic proteins, and as modulators of bilayer physical properties. Current Peptide and Protein Research7: 539-552.
- Kitos,T.E., Choy, C.M.Y., and Cornell, R.B. (2006) Angiotensin stimulates phosphatidylcholine
- synthesis via a pathway involving diacylglycerol, protein kinase C, ERK1/2, and CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase. Biochim. Biophys. Acta.,1761: 272-279.
- Bogan, M.J., Agnes, G.R., Pio, F., Cornell, R.B. (2005) Interdomain and membrane interactions of CTP: Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase revealed via limited proteolysis and mass spectrometry. J. Biol. Chem.280: 19613 - 19624.
- Taneva, S., Johnson, J.E., and Cornell, R.B.* (2003) Lipid-Induced Conformational Switch in the Membrane Binding Domain of CTP:Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase: A Circular Dichroism Study. Biochemistry42, 11768-11776.
- Johnson, J.E., Xie, M., Singh, L., Edge, R., & Cornell, R.B.* (2003) Both acidic and basic amino acids in an amphitropic enzyme dictate its selectivity for anionic membranes. J. Biol. Chem.278: 514-522.
- Cornell, R.B.* & Northwood, I.C. (2000) Regulation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase by amphitropism and relocalization. Trends Biochem. Sci. 25: 441-447.