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FACULTY - PRIMARY FACULTY - SABA VALADKHAN |
Saba Valadkhan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Center for RNA Molecular Biology
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RNA Center Faculty: since 2004 |
Education: Ph.D., Columbia University, 2003 MD, Iran University of Medical Sciences, 1996 |
Research: Functional analysis of the spliceosome
The main focus of research in my lab is elucidating the structure and function of the catalytic core of the spliceosome by taking advantage of a novel, minimal spliceosome we have recently developed. This minimal system, which consists of only two spliceosomal snRNAs, catalyzes a reaction identical to the splicing reaction. In addition to providing direct evidence for RNA catalysis in the spliceosome, and thus, settling the longstanding and central question of the identity of the catalytic domain, the minimal system provides a novel and powerful tool for studying the structure and function of the spliceosome.
Selected Publications
Valadkhan S. (2005)
snRNAs as the catalysts of pre-mRNA splicing.
Curr Opin Chem Biol. epub
Valadkhan S, Manley JL. (2003)
Characterization of the catalytic activity of U2 and U6 snRNAs.
RNA 9:892-904. / 
Valadkhan S, Manley JL. (2001)
Splicing-related catalysis by protein-free snRNAs.
Nature 413:701-707. /
Valadkhan S, Manley JL. (2000)
A tertiary interaction detected in a human U2-U6 snRNA complex assembled in vitro resembles a
genetically proven interaction in yeast.
RNA 6:206-219. /