Seema Mattoo

Title:

Associate Professor

PhD Granting Institution:

UCLA (University of California-Los Angeles)

Contact:

Email Address: smattoo@purdue.edu
Office Phone: 765-496-7293
Lab Website Link: https://www.bio.purdue.edu/lab/mattoo/

Primary Training Group:

Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Secondary Training Groups:

Biomolecular Structure and Biophysics, Integrative Neuroscience

Research Areas:

Cell signaling and post-translational modifications (PTMs) mediated by Fic proteins. Cells function by carefully orchestrating communication between proteins, often via PTMs. Dr. Mattoo’s team studies PTMs carried out by the evolutionarily conserved Fic (filamentation induced by cAMP) enzyme family. Predominant amongst these PTMs is AMPylation/adenylylation, which entails breakdown of ATP to add an AMP to the target protein. Dr. Mattoo’s group has discovered roles for AMPylation in microbial pathogenesis, mammalian stress response, and neurodegeneration (Parkinson’s Disease). By manipulating AMPylation, her team aims to intercept detrimental signals to promote cellular health. Projects include: 1) Microbial pathogenesis. 2) Parkinson's Disease. 3) Cancer

Current Projects:

1. Assessing Fic and Fic-related proteins as novel virulence and fitness factors in the context of bacterial pathogenesis. Bacteria of interest: Bordetella (Whooping Cough); Helicobacter pylori (gastric ulcers/cancer); Uropathogenic E. coli (urinary tract infections); veterinary pathogens Brucella abortis, Hemophilus somni, Pasteurella multocida. Projects involve a combination of bacterial genetics, mammalian tissue culture, and protein biochemistry. 2. Neurodegeneration and cancer. Protein misfolding and aggregation are associated with several diseases. We discovered a role for the human Fic protein, HYPE, in how cells deal with the stress of misfolded proteins. We have developed small molecule manipulators of HYPE, which are being tested as therapeutic agents in models of neurodegeneration and cancer.

Importance of Interdisciplinary Research:

Fic proteins are fast being recognized as key regulators of cell signaling events in diverse organisms from bacteria to humans. Dr. Mattoo's lab takes a multidisciplinary approach that combines biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, structure biology and bioinformatics to elucidate the functional repertoire of Fic proteins.