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FACULTY - PRIMARY FACULTY - JEFF COLLER |
Jeff Coller, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Center for RNA Molecular Biology
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RNA Center Faculty: since 2005 |
Education: Ph.D.: Biochemistry Department Postdoc: Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
Curriculum Vitae 
Research: Translational Control and mRNA Decay
Translational control is a pivotal aspect of gene expression. Our recent work has demonstrated a mechanism of translational control that involves the active, regulated movement of mRNA out of ribosomes and into discrete cytoplasmic structures called processing bodies (P-bodies). P-bodies are highly conserved, ribonucleoprotein (RNP) structures that contain translationally quiescent transcripts, as well as the mRNA decapping machinery (a complex of proteins which remove the 5' 7mG cap, and degrade the mRNA). While mRNA turnover can occur in P-bodies, recent work suggests mRNAs may move to and from P-bodies as a regulated step in translation. Indeed, P-bodies have deep ancestral roots to other cytoplasmic particles involved in the regulated storage of mRNAs, particularly during embryonic development. Thus, the primordial role of P-bodies may be to provide control over translation. Similar particles, containing the same polypeptides, are found in embryos, neurons, regenerating tissue, and somatic cells. Understanding the movement of mRNAs from ribosomes to P-bodies will have broad implications in development and neurobiology. Additionally, this mechanism of translational regulation may be the basis of several types of post-transcriptional control, such as that elicited by many 3 'UTR binding proteins in repressing mRNA expression. We focus on the yeast, S. cerevisiae for its ease of manipulation and powerful technical resources, but view it as a paradigm for translational regulation in many other biological contexts.
Selected Publications
Coller J., and Parker R. (2005)
General Translational Repression by Activators of mRNA Decapping.
Cell 122:875-886. /
Cheng Z., Coller J., Parker R., and Song H. (2005)
Crystal structure of the DEAD box helicase, Dhh1p.
RNA 11:1258-1270. /
Coller J., and Parker R. (2004)
Eukaryotic mRNA decapping.
Annu. Rev. Biochem. 73:861-890. /
Coller J., Tucker M., Sheth U., Valencia M., and Parker R. (2001)
The DEAD box helicase, Dhh1p, functions in mRNA decapping and interacts with both the decapping and deadenylase complexes.
RNA 12:1717-1727. /
