Meagher Laboratory Cytoskelton Research

PUBLICATIONS

Ruzicka, D., Kandasamy, M.K., McKinney, E.C., Bursos-Rivera, B., and Meagher, R.B. (2007) The ancient subclasses of Arabidopsis ACTIN DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR genes exhibit novel and differential expression. Plant J. In Press.

Kandasamy, M.K., Burgos-Rivera, B., McKinney, E.C., Ruzicka, D., and Meagher, R.B. (2007) Class-specific interactions of profilin and ADF isovariants with actin in the regulation of plant development. Plant Cell. In Press.

POSTERS, PRESENTATIONS, and ABSTRACTS

Ruzicka, D., Kandasamy, M.K., McKinney, E.C., Bursos-Rivera, B., and Meagher, R.B. The ancient subclasses of Arabidopsis ACTIN DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR genes exhibit novel and differential expression. American Society of Plant Biologists Congress 2007

Ruzicka DR, McKinney EC, Kandasamy MK, Burgos-Rivera B, and Meagher RB Novel Expression Patterns and Subcellular Localization Among the Four Ancient Subclasses of Actin Depolymerizing Factor Gene Family in Arabidopsis International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, 2006

Ruzicka DR, McKinney EC, Kandasamy MK, Burgos-Rivera B, and Meagher RB 2005 Actin Depolymerizing Factor: Arabidopsis maintains a large ADF gene family for divergent expression patterns and protein functions Plant Center Retreat, Lake Lanier GA.

Ruzicka DR, McKinney EC, Kandasamy MK, Burgos-Rivera B, and Meagher RB 2004 Diverse Actin Depolymerizing Factors in Arabidopsis American Society of Plant Biologists Conference 2004, Orlando FL,

DOCTORAL Ph.D. THESIS ABSTRACT

The actin-based cytoskeleton is comprised of actin and a variety of actin binding
proteins (ABPs) that function coordinately to regulate cytoskeletal organization and remodeling. Actin Depolymerizing Factor (ADF) severs and depolymerizes actin filaments resulting in an increase in cytoskeleton remodeling. In higher plants, ADF is encoded by a large gene family. The Arabidopsis ADF gene family contains eleven expressed genes grouped phylogenetically into three ancient subclasses. Further evidence from our lab indicates that these subclasses are better classified as four functional subclasses based on distinct expression patterns including constitutive, rapidly dividing/differentiating, root, and pollen specific patterns. Additionally, our analysis of Arabidopsis ADF protein sequences demonstrates amino acid differences among subclasses in key domains responsible for actin binding, nuclear localization, and phosphorylation. Given this preliminary data, I hypothesize that the four Arabidopsis ADF subclasses are conserved because of divergence in subclass expression patterns and protein functions. To futher explore and test this hypothesis, I plan to define expression patterns, to characterize the effect of the knocking down ADF subclasses on plant development and the actin cytoskeleton, and to determine the functional differences between the ADF subclasses.

HOBBIES AND NON-PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

St. Louis Cardinals baseball, bird watching, current events/politics, gardening, and working on our house (yes I realize I sound like I am middle-aged!)

FUTURE CAREER PLANS AND GOALS

Broadly, I want to develop a career in the field of plant molecular biology in either industry or government. Specifically, I am interested in the use of post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) as a tool to manipulate agriculturally significant traits in a variety of crop and non-crop targets, and in its use as a tool against plant pathogens.


	Daniel Ruzicka Graduate Student Department of Genetics Life Science Building University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 Phone: 706-542-1410 Fax: 706-542-1387 E-mail: druzicka@uga.edu

	EDUCATION 2003 B.S. Biochemistry, Graduated Cum Laude and with honors with a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri, Columbia 2003-present Genetics Ph.D. student, University of Georgia
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2001-2002 Laboratory Technician, Dr. Eric Antoniou Lab, University of Missouri 2002 Summer Research Internship Program, Schering Plough Pharmaceuticals 2003- present Ph.D. student in the Meagher Lab, University of Georgia 2004-2005 Graduate Student Representative to the Faculty, Department of Genetics 2005 Evolution and Molecular Genetic Topics Journal Club Founder and Co-Chair
HONORS AND AWARDS University-wide Graduate School Fellowship from the University of Georgia 2003-2005 NIH Training Grant Fellowship from the Department of Genetics, University of Georgia 2005-present Outstanding Research Poster Award, Plant Center Retreat, Lake Lanier, GA June and Linton Bishop Graduate Fellowship, 2007
PUBLICATIONS Ruzicka, D., Kandasamy, M.K., McKinney, E.C., Bursos-Rivera, B., and Meagher, R.B. (2007) The ancient subclasses of Arabidopsis ACTIN DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR genes exhibit novel and differential expression. Plant J. In Press. Kandasamy, M.K., Burgos-Rivera, B., McKinney, E.C., Ruzicka, D., and Meagher, R.B. (2007) Class-specific interactions of profilin and ADF isovariants with actin in the regulation of plant development. Plant Cell. In Press. POSTERS, PRESENTATIONS, and ABSTRACTS Ruzicka, D., Kandasamy, M.K., McKinney, E.C., Bursos-Rivera, B., and Meagher, R.B. The ancient subclasses of Arabidopsis ACTIN DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR genes exhibit novel and differential expression. American Society of Plant Biologists Congress 2007 Ruzicka DR, McKinney EC, Kandasamy MK, Burgos-Rivera B, and Meagher RB Novel Expression Patterns and Subcellular Localization Among the Four Ancient Subclasses of Actin Depolymerizing Factor Gene Family in Arabidopsis International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, 2006 Ruzicka DR, McKinney EC, Kandasamy MK, Burgos-Rivera B, and Meagher RB 2005 Actin Depolymerizing Factor: Arabidopsis maintains a large ADF gene family for divergent expression patterns and protein functions Plant Center Retreat, Lake Lanier GA. Ruzicka DR, McKinney EC, Kandasamy MK, Burgos-Rivera B, and Meagher RB 2004 Diverse Actin Depolymerizing Factors in Arabidopsis American Society of Plant Biologists Conference 2004, Orlando FL, DOCTORAL Ph.D. THESIS ABSTRACT The actin-based cytoskeleton is comprised of actin and a variety of actin binding proteins (ABPs) that function coordinately to regulate cytoskeletal organization and remodeling. Actin Depolymerizing Factor (ADF) severs and depolymerizes actin filaments resulting in an increase in cytoskeleton remodeling. In higher plants, ADF is encoded by a large gene family. The Arabidopsis ADF gene family contains eleven expressed genes grouped phylogenetically into three ancient subclasses. Further evidence from our lab indicates that these subclasses are better classified as four functional subclasses based on distinct expression patterns including constitutive, rapidly dividing/differentiating, root, and pollen specific patterns. Additionally, our analysis of Arabidopsis ADF protein sequences demonstrates amino acid differences among subclasses in key domains responsible for actin binding, nuclear localization, and phosphorylation. Given this preliminary data, I hypothesize that the four Arabidopsis ADF subclasses are conserved because of divergence in subclass expression patterns and protein functions. To futher explore and test this hypothesis, I plan to define expression patterns, to characterize the effect of the knocking down ADF subclasses on plant development and the actin cytoskeleton, and to determine the functional differences between the ADF subclasses. HOBBIES AND NON-PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES St. Louis Cardinals baseball, bird watching, current events/politics, gardening, and working on our house (yes I realize I sound like I am middle-aged!) FUTURE CAREER PLANS AND GOALS Broadly, I want to develop a career in the field of plant molecular biology in either industry or government. Specifically, I am interested in the use of post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) as a tool to manipulate agriculturally significant traits in a variety of crop and non-crop targets, and in its use as a tool against plant pathogens.