Erika L F. Holzbaur (born 1960) is an American biologist who is the William Maul Measey Professor of Physiology at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her research considers the dynamics of organelle motility along cytoskeleton of cells. She is particularly interested in the molecular mechanisms that underpin neurodegenerative diseases.

Erika L. F. Holzbaur
Holzbaur speaks at the NIH Neuroscience Seminar Series in 2015
Born1960 (age 63–64)
Alma materPennsylvania State University
College of William and Mary
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Pennsylvania
Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research
Pennsylvania State University
ThesisKinetic and thermodynamic investigations of the microtubule-dynein ATPase pathway (1987)
Notable studentsChantell Evans
WebsiteHolzbaur Lab

Early life and education

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Holzbaur grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York.[1] She became interested in American history as a teenager, and in particular was inspired by the women's rights advocate Frederick Douglass.[1] As an undergraduate student, Holzbaur majored in history, but became fascinated by the periodic table and chemistry.[1][2] She eventually graduated from the College of William & Mary with a major in chemistry and history.[1] She completed an undergraduate research project with Melvyn Schiavelli.[2] Holzbaur has said that she became interested in cell biology during her interviews for graduate school.[1] Her doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania involved studies of the ATPase pathway of axonemal dynein.[3] She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Pennsylvania State University and the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research. During her postdoctoral research, Holzbaur studied cytoplasmic dynein.[3] She was the first person to clone the p150Glued, the largest subunit of the dynactin complex, and went on to show how this subunit binds to microtubules.[1][4] She recognized that the cytoplasmic dynein-associated proteins closely resembled a Drosophila gene called Glued, which was known to cause neurodegeneration in the fruit-fly.[2]

Research and career

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Holzbaur's research considers the dynamics of organelle motility along cytoskeleton of cells. She was appointed to the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in 1992.[5] Holzbaur studies various motor proteins, including dyneins, myosins and kinesins.[2] In the axons of neurons, these motor proteins are responsible for the transport of organelles over extraordinarily long distances.[3] She found that targeted disruption of the dynein-dynctin interaction can result in the degeneration of motor neurons.[1] Holzbaur has used her understanding of axonal transport to better understand neurodegenerative disease, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.[3][6][7]

Awards and honors

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Selected publications

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  • Ram Dixit; Jennifer L Ross; Yale E Goldman; Erika L F Holzbaur (17 January 2008). "Differential regulation of dynein and kinesin motor proteins by tau". Science. 319 (5866): 1086–1089. Bibcode:2008Sci...319.1086D. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.1152993. ISSN 0036-8075. PMC 2866193. PMID 18202255. Wikidata Q28589618.
  • Imke Puls; Catherine Jonnakuty; Bernadette H LaMonte; et al. (10 March 2003). "Mutant dynactin in motor neuron disease". Nature Genetics. 33 (4): 455–456. doi:10.1038/NG1123. ISSN 1061-4036. PMID 12627231. Wikidata Q52603971.
  • Bernadette H LaMonte; Karen E Wallace; Beth A Holloway; et al. (1 May 2002). "Disruption of dynein/dynactin inhibits axonal transport in motor neurons causing late-onset progressive degeneration". Neuron. 34 (5): 715–727. doi:10.1016/S0896-6273(02)00696-7. ISSN 0896-6273. PMID 12062019. Wikidata Q52546347.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Erika Holzbaur". The Biophysical Society. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  2. ^ a b c d Talan, Jamie (2015-10-08). "AT THE BENCH". Neurology Today. 15 (19): 11–12. doi:10.1097/01.NT.0000472958.95553.20. ISSN 1533-7006. S2CID 75669971.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Erika L.F. Holzbaur chosen as 2020 Sandra K. Masur Senior Leadership awardee". ASCB. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  4. ^ Engelender, Simone; Sharp, Alan H.; Colomer, Veronica; Tokito, Mariko K.; Lanahan, Anthony; Worley, Paul; Holzbaur, Erika L.F.; Ross, Christopher A. (1997-12-01). "Huntingtin-associated Protein 1 (HAP1) Interacts with the p150Glued Bubunit of Dynactin". Human Molecular Genetics. 6 (13): 2205–2212. doi:10.1093/hmg/6.13.2205. ISSN 0964-6906. PMID 9361024.
  5. ^ Holzbaur, Erika L. F. (2020-11-30). "Mentoring in the time of Coronavirus". Molecular Biology of the Cell. 31 (25): 2761–2762. doi:10.1091/mbc.E20-09-0597. ISSN 1059-1524. PMC 7851860. PMID 33253073.
  6. ^ "Home | Holzbaur Lab | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania". www.med.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  7. ^ "Erika L.F. Holzbaur, PhD | Parkinson's Disease". www.michaeljfox.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  8. ^ "William Maul Measey Professorship of Physiology | Endowed Professorships | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania". www.med.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  9. ^ "ASCB announces cohort of 67 new Society Fellows". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  10. ^ "Department of Physiology | Perelman School Of Medicine | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pa". www.med.upenn.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  11. ^ "Penn Physiologist Given NIH Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award for Research on Neurodegeneration - Penn Medicine". www.pennmedicine.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  12. ^ "Hyman to Present Keith Porter Lecture at Cell Bio Virtual 2020". www.newswise.com. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
  13. ^ "Failure of Mitochondrial Quality Control Causes Heart Disease - Penn Medicine". www.pennmedicine.org. Retrieved 2021-03-28.