Vassie Ware, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
 
 
 
 
 

The research in my laboratory is centered on understanding the molecular biology of ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes. Using molecular genetic and biochemical approaches, we study several post-transcriptional events in ribosome maturation, including rRNA processing and ribosomal subunit transport.  Our goals are to determine 1) the recognition signals and biochemical machinery involved in the excision of transcribed spacers from precursor rRNAs, and 2) the specific components, interactions, and developmentally-regulated pathways involved in transporting ribosomal subunits across the nuclear envelope into the cytoplasmic compartment.
 

Representative Publications
Ware, V.C., Renkawitz, R., and Gerbi, S.A. 1985.  rRNA processing:  removal of only nineteen bases at the gap between 28Sa and 28Sb rRNAs in Sciara coprophila. Nucleic Acids Res. 13:3581-3597.

Khanna-Gupta, A. and Ware, V.C.  1989.  Nucleocytoplasmic transport of ribosomes in a eukaryotic system:  is there a facilitated transport mechanism?  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 86:1791-1795.

Dunbar, D.A., Ware, V.C., and Baserga, S.J.  1996.  The U18 snRNA is not essential for pre-rRNA processing in Xenopus laevis.  RNA 2:324-333.

Basile-Borgia, A.E., Dunbar, D.A. and Ware, V.C. (2005) Heterologous rRNA gene expression: internal fragmentation of Sciara coprophila 28S rRNA within microinjected Xenopus laevis oocytes. Insect Molecular Biology, 14, 523-536.

Ross, C.L.N., Patel, R.R., Mendelson, T.C., and Ware, V.C. (2007) Functional conservation between structurally diverse ribosomal proteins from Drosophila melanogaster and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: fly L23a can substitute for yeast L25 in ribosome assembly and function. Nucleic Acids Research, in press.