Curriculum vitae

 

Arturas Meskauskas, Ph.D.

_______________________________________________________________

Dept. of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics

University of Maryland

College Park

MD 20742

Phone: (301)-405-1758 (office)

            (301)-362-4702 (home) 

E-mail: artmeska@wam.umd.edu

________________________________________________________________

CITIZENSHIP: U.S.A.

EDUCATION

 

1977 - M.Sc., Biochemistry

State University of Vilnius         

1991 - Ph.D., Biochemistry

Institute of Biochemistry, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Vilnius, Lithuania

 

 

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

2002-present: Res. Assistant Professor, Dept. Cell Biology and Molecular genetics, University of Maryland.

1999-2002      

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept. Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

 

1992-1999

Senior Scientist, Lab. Of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Vilnius, Lithuania

 

1986-1992

Junior Scientist, Lab. Of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Vilnius, Lithuania

 

 

1979-1986

Assistant Scientist, Lab. Of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Vilnius, Lithuania

 

1977-1979

Junior Scientist, Institute for Applied Enzymology MBI ‘Fermentas’, Lab. Of Gene Engineering, Vilnius, Lithuania

 

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH TRAINING

 

1984

Visiting Scientist, Dept. Molecular Biology,  Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushcino-Moscow Region, Russia

 

1979-1982

Post-graduate student, Lab. Of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Vilnius, Lithuania

 

RESEARCH SUPPORT

Principal Investigator on:

1. Ribosomal protein L3:  structure and function; American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant 0630163N, Jan 1 2006 – Dec 31 2009, $260,000.

2. Construction of yeast producent for secreted human urokinase, Lithuanian Science Foundation #8-92, Jun 1 1992 – December 1 1995;

3. Characterization of new killer type in S. paradoxus strain BKM2472, Lithuanian Science Foundation #95-226/2B January 1 1995 – December 1 1995;

4. Virus interaction in S. cerevisiae, Lithuanian Science Foundation #96-201/2B, August 25 1996 – June 25 1996.

 

SERVICE ON STUDENT COMMITEES

Member, Masters Thesis Defense Committee for Rimas Sapranauskas, Vilnius University 1995.

Member, Masters Thesis Defense Committee for Ricardas Veliulis, Vilnius University 1996

 
TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

Lecturer in the Microbiology and Genetics class for sixth year Microbiology students.  (Dr. D. Citavicius, course coordinator).   Autum semester.  “Gene Engineering”

CURRENTLY WORKINK ON: Investigation of the role of ribosomal protein L3 in formation and activity of peptidyltransferase center in yeast ribosomes. This includes: identification of specific amino acid residues required for the three different phenotypes (viral maintenance, ribosomal frameshifting, and drug resistance) associated with mutants of RPL3; characterization of the mechanisms underlying the observed effects of mutant rpl3 alleles on  translational efficiency and fidelity including programmed –1 ribosomal frameshifting and resistance to anisomycin.


LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

 

1.                  A. Meskauskas, J.D. Dinman. Ribosomal Protein L3: Gatekeeper to the A Site. Molecular Cell 25(6): 877-888, 2007.

2.                  A. Meskauskas, A.N. Petrov, J.D. Dinman. Identification of functionally important amino acids of ribosomal protein L3 by saturation mutagenesis. Mol. Cell. Biol. 25(24):10863-10874, 2005.

3.                  S. Kiparisov, A. Petrov, A. Meskauskas, P.V. Sergiev, O.A. Dontsova, J.D. Dinman. Structural and functional analysis of 5S rRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Mol Genet Genomics 274(3):235-47.

4.                  A. Petrov, A. Meskauskas, J.D. Dinman. Ribosomal protein L3: Influence on ribosome structure and function. RNA Biology 1(1) 59-65, 2004.

5.                  A. Meskauskas, J.W. Harger, K.L. Jacobs, Dinman J.D. Decreased peptidyltransferase activity correlates with increased programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting and viral maintenance defects in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. RNA 2003 Aug;9(8):982-92

6.                  A. Meskauskas, J.L. Baxter, E.A. Carr, J. Yasenchak, J.E.G. Gallagher, S. J. Baserga, J.D. Dinman. Delayed rRNA processing results in significant ribosome biogenesis and functional defects. Mol. Cell. Biol. 23(5):1602-1613, 2003

7.                  E. P. Plant, K. L. Muldoon Jacobs, J. W. Harger, A. Meskauskas, J. L. Jacobs, J. L. Baxter, A. N. Petrov, J. D. Dinman. The 9-A solution: How mRNA pseudoknots promote efficient programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting. RNA 9, 168-174, 2003

8.                  J. W. Harger, A. Meskauskas,  J. D. Dinman. An ‘integrated’ model of programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Trends Biochem. Sci 27(9), 448-454, 2002

9.                  A. Meskauskas and J. D. Dinman. Ribosomal protein L5 helps anchor peptidyl-tRNA to the P-site in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. RNA 7, 1084-1096, 2001

10.              M. W. Smith, A. Meskauskas, P. Wang, P. V. Sergiev, J. D. Dinman. Saturation Mutagenesis of 5S rRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.Mol. Cell. Biol. Dec;21(24):8264-75, 2001

11.              J. W. Harger, A. Meskauskas, J. Nielsen, M. C. Justice, J. D. Dinman. Ty1 retrotransposition and programmed +1 ribosomal frameshifting require the integrity of the protein synthetic translocation step. Virology 286, 216-224, 2001

12.              A. Meskauskas, D. Citavicius. K2 type killer toxin and immunity encoding region from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: structure and expression in yeast // Gene, 111, No.1, 135-139, 1992

13.              A. Meskauskas. The nucleotide sequence of cDNA to M2-1 dsRNA segment. Nucleic Acid Research. 18, 6720, 1990.

14.              A. Meskauskas, V. Ksenzenko, M. Shlyapnikov, V. Kryukov, D. Citavicius. Red pigment from ADE-2 mutants of S. cerevisiae prevents DNA cleavage by restriction endonucleases // FEBS Letters, 182, Nr.2, 413, 1985.

15.              А.Miashkauskas,  М. Ovadis, L. Chernin. Identification of the region of plasmid R1-19 complementing the mutant phenotype of recB in E. coli strain K-12 //Molecular Genetics, Microbiology, and Virology, No.11, 16-20, 1985 (rus).

 

16.              A. Meskauskas. Study on killer system of K2 type // Abstr. EMBO International Workshop on viruses of fungi and simple eucaryotes, - Mallorca, September 3-6 1991.Published in European Journal of Epidemiology, 8, No.1, 144-170 (48), 1992.

 

Abstracts and National Journals

 

17.              Meskauskas A. and Dinman J. D. Ribosomal Protein L3:  Gateway to the A-site // Abstract for the Translational Control Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, September 6 – September 10, 2006.

18.               Meskauskas A. and Dinman J. D. Ribosomal Protein L3:  Gatekeeper to the A-site // The 7th International Conference on Ribosome Synthesis, August 16-20, Warrenton, VA, 2006

19.              Meskauskas A., Petrov A, Dinman J.D. Ribosomal Protein L3: Influence on Ribosome Structure and Function // Abstract for the Translational Control Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, September 7 – September 12, 2004.

20.              Meskauskas A., J.D. Dinman The role of 5S rRNA in translational fidelity. 6th International Engelhardt Conference, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, St. Petersburg - Moscow, Russia, June 26 – July 2, 2003.

21.              Meskauskas A., Dinman J.D. The role of 5S rRNA in translational fidelity: structure=function. Abstract for the Translational Control Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, September 7 – September 12, 2002.

22.               Meskauskas A., J. D. Dinman Alleles of rpl5 promote altered ribosomal frameshift efficiencies and negatively impact propagation of the M1 killer virus and Ty1 //  Abstract for the 2000 Mid-Atlantic Yeast Meeting, Baltimore 2000.

23.              J. D. Dinman, A. B. Hammell, A. Meskauskas, P. Wang The many paths to RPL3 // Abstract for the 2000 Mid-Atlantic Yeast Meeting, Baltimore 2000.

 

24.              D. Laurinavicienë, V. Melvydas, A. Meskauskas. In vivo construction of recombinant plasmid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae // Experimental biology. - 1992. - Nr. 3-4. P.148-149.

25.              A. Meskauskas, D. Citavicius. Synthesis and cloning of a cDNA copies of the killer toxin-coding region of the yeast M2 double-stranded RNA // Experimental Biology. - 1991. - Nr. 3. P.10-12.

26.              A. Meskauskas, D. Citavicius. Sequencing of the toxin and immunity coding region of the yeast M2 double-stranded RNA // Experimental Biology. - 1991. - Nr. 3. P.3-8.

27.              A. Meskauskas, D. Citavicius. The expression of cDNA clone of yeast M2 double-stranded RNA in yeast confers both killer and immunity phenotypes // Experimental Biology. - 1991. - Nr. 3. P.14-17.

28.              A. Meskauskas K2 type killer system in Sacharomyces cerevisiae: structure and expression of cDNA clones of yeast M2 double- stranded RNA // Proceedings of the 6th congress of Lithuanian geneticists and breeders. Experimental Biology. - 1991. - Nr. 1. P.32.

29.              A. Meskauskas, D. Citavicius Genetic control of mating type in the yeast S. cerevisiae // Genetics No.9, 145-156, 1979 (rus).

30.              Melvydas V., Laurinavicienë D., Meskauskas A., Jokantaitë T. The study of in vivo recombinant plasmids in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae // Abstract in Second Genetical Congress of the Baltic States, Jurmala, Latvia, September 25-29, 1995

31.              Citavicius D., Meskauskas A., Jokantaitë T., Melvydas V., Kutaitë E. Preliminary study of the use of yeast K2 killer preprotoxin gene for biotechnology // Abstract in 7th European Congress on Biotechnology. Nice, 19-23 February, 1995

32.              Kutaite E., Meskauskas A., Citavicius D. Some characteristics of new Saccharomyces killer strain // Abstract in Fifth International Symposium on Double - stranded RNA Viruses. Djerbs, Tunisia, 19-23 March, 1995

33.              Jokantaitë T, Melvydas V, Meskauskas A. The selection system for transformation of recombinant DNA in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae // Abstract in Second Genetical Congress of the Baltic States, Jurmala, Latvia, September 25-29, 1995

34.              .A. Meskauskas, E. Kutaitë, D. Citavicius. Organization of killer systems in yeast. Thesis for the First Genetical congress of the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. 3-6 November 1992. Vilnius.

35.              A. Meskauskas, T. Jokantaitë. The expression of cDNA clones of yeast M2 double-stranded RNA // Abstr. 14th International conference on yeast genetics and molecular biology, - Amsterdam, 1989. p. 78.

36.              A. Meskauskas, D. Citavicius Synthesis of DNA complementary to M2 RNA of killer yeast S. cerevisiae // Abstr. Int. Conf. on Ecological monitoring , Vilnius, 1988, p. 173

37.              A. Meskauskas Maping of gene complementating the rec BC phenotype in E. coli // Abstr. Int. Symp. of Baltic States and Bielorussia, Kaunas-Girionys, p. 119 1986

38.              A. Meskauskas In vitro expression  of the gene complementing rec BC phenotype in E. coli // Abstr. Int. Symp. of Baltic States and Bielorussia, Kaunas-Girionys, p. 119 1986

39.              A. Meskauskas Complementation of mutant phenotype rec BC in E. coli starin K-12 by plasmid R1-19 // Abstr. Conf. of Lithuanian Society of Geneticists, Kaunas 1985

40.              A. Meskauskas Inhibition of restriction endonucleases by ‘red pigment’ of adenine mutants of yeast S. cerevisiae // Abstr. Conf. of Lithuanian Society of Geneticists, Kaunas 1985

41.              A. Meskauskas Characterization of primary multiple mutants in S. cerevisiae // Conf. On genetics and selection, Vilnius, 1981, p.15

42.              A. Meskauskas, D. Citavicius Chatacterization of dsRNA in various strains of S. cerevisiae// Abstr. Conf. of Lithuanian Society of Geneticists, Kaunas 1980

43.