Patricia Graham
Research Interests
Throughout my research career, I have been fascinated by developmental and evolutionary questions. During my doctoral work with Dr. Kimble I addressed the question of how a germ cell determines whether it should become a sperm or an oocyte. As a post-doctoral fellow with Dr. Kramer I explored the ways that the basement membrane influences development. Working with Dr. Schedl I investigated how a protein important in one biochemical process (translation) might also be used in a second biochemical process (alternative splicing). While in Dr. Irvine’s lab I focused on the question of whether mechanical signals (eg. stretching of the cells and/or the underlying basement membrane) contribute to the decision of whether a cell should divide.
In Drosophila a hierarchy of transcriptional regulatory genes defines the segments of the germband during the cellular blastoderm stage. Subsequently, the embryo undergoes two dramatic morphogenetic movements, germband extension and retraction. As a research scientist at the University of MD I would like to address three basic questions about these events. First, what molecular mechanism(s) define segment identity? Second, how are segment identity and cohesion maintained while the cells are moving during germ band extension and retraction? Finally, are these mechanisms conserved in insects that form segments sequentially rather than simultaneously?
In Drosophila a hierarchy of transcriptional regulatory genes defines the segments of the germband during the cellular blastoderm stage. Subsequently, the embryo undergoes two dramatic morphogenetic movements, germband extension and retraction. As a research scientist at the University of MD I would like to address three basic questions about these events. First, what molecular mechanism(s) define segment identity? Second, how are segment identity and cohesion maintained while the cells are moving during germ band extension and retraction? Finally, are these mechanisms conserved in insects that form segments sequentially rather than simultaneously?
Publications
Graham, P. L., Anderson, W. R., Brandt, E. A., Xiang, J. & Pick, L. Dynamic expression of Drosophila segmental cell surface-encoding genes and their pair-rule regulators. Developmental Biology (2019). doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.015 [Link]
Graham, PL, Yanowitz, JL, Penn, JK, Deshpande, G and Scheld, P (2011)The Translation Initiation Factor eIF4E Regulates the Sex-specific Expression of the Master Switch Gene Sxl in Drosophila. PLoS Genet. 7:e1002185.
Suissa, Y, Kalifa, Y, Dinur, T, Graham, P, Deshpande, G, Schedl, P and Gerlitz, O. (2010). Hrp48 attenuates Sxl expression to allow for proper notch expression and signaling in wing development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 107:6930-6935.
Penn JK, Graham P, Deshpande G, Calhoun G, Chaouki AS, Salz HK, Schedl P (2008). Functioning of the Drosophila Wilms'-tumor-1-associated protein homolog, Fl(2)d, in Sex-lethal-dependent alternative splicing. Genetics 178(2):737-48
Graham, Patricia, Julia Thompson, Katherine Griswold, Paul Schedl and Rock Pulak (2006). Sorting and collecting females from males at high speed. Drosophila Information Services 89:123-128.
Penn, Jill K. M., Graham, Patricia and Schedl, Paul (2004). Alternative Splicing: Regulation of Sex Determination in Drosophila melanogaster. Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry 1:78-84
Graham, Patricia, Penn, Jill K.M. and Schedl, Paul (2003). Masters change, slaves remain. Bioessays 25:1-4.
Malini C. Gupta, Patricia L. Graham and James M. Kramer (1997). Characterization of alpha1(IV) collagen mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans and the effects of alpha1(IV) and alpha2(IV) mutations on collagen distribution. Journal of Cell Biology 5:1185-1196.
Patricia L. Graham, Jeffrey J. Johnson, Shaoru Wang, Marion H. Sibley, Malini C. Gupta and James M. Kramer (1997). Type IV collagen is detectable in most, but not all, basement membranes of Caenorhabditis elegans and assembles on tissues that do not express it. Journal of Cell Biology 137:1171-1183.
Marion H. Sibley, Patricia L. Graham, Nicola von Mende and James M. Kramer (1994). Mutations in the alpha 2(IV) collagen gene of Caenorhabditis elegans produce phenotypes of differing severities. EMBO J. 13: 3278-3285.
Patricia L. Graham, Tim Schedl and Judith Kimble (1993). More mog genes that influence the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in the hermaphrodite germline of Caenorhabditis elegans. Developmental Genetics 14:471-484.
Patricia L. Graham and Judith Kimble (1993). The mog-1 gene is required for the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 133:919-931.
Tim Schedl, Patricia L. Graham, M. Kathryn Barton and Judith Kimble (1989). Analysis of the role of tra-1 in germline sex determination in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 123:755-769.
William R. Engels, Wendy K. Bentz, Christine R. Preston, Patricia L. Graham, Randall W. Phillips and Hugh M. Robertson (1987). Somatic effects of P element activity in Drosophila melanogaster: Pupal lethality. Genetics 117:743-757.
Graham, PL, Yanowitz, JL, Penn, JK, Deshpande, G and Scheld, P (2011)The Translation Initiation Factor eIF4E Regulates the Sex-specific Expression of the Master Switch Gene Sxl in Drosophila. PLoS Genet. 7:e1002185.
Suissa, Y, Kalifa, Y, Dinur, T, Graham, P, Deshpande, G, Schedl, P and Gerlitz, O. (2010). Hrp48 attenuates Sxl expression to allow for proper notch expression and signaling in wing development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 107:6930-6935.
Penn JK, Graham P, Deshpande G, Calhoun G, Chaouki AS, Salz HK, Schedl P (2008). Functioning of the Drosophila Wilms'-tumor-1-associated protein homolog, Fl(2)d, in Sex-lethal-dependent alternative splicing. Genetics 178(2):737-48
Graham, Patricia, Julia Thompson, Katherine Griswold, Paul Schedl and Rock Pulak (2006). Sorting and collecting females from males at high speed. Drosophila Information Services 89:123-128.
Penn, Jill K. M., Graham, Patricia and Schedl, Paul (2004). Alternative Splicing: Regulation of Sex Determination in Drosophila melanogaster. Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry 1:78-84
Graham, Patricia, Penn, Jill K.M. and Schedl, Paul (2003). Masters change, slaves remain. Bioessays 25:1-4.
Malini C. Gupta, Patricia L. Graham and James M. Kramer (1997). Characterization of alpha1(IV) collagen mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans and the effects of alpha1(IV) and alpha2(IV) mutations on collagen distribution. Journal of Cell Biology 5:1185-1196.
Patricia L. Graham, Jeffrey J. Johnson, Shaoru Wang, Marion H. Sibley, Malini C. Gupta and James M. Kramer (1997). Type IV collagen is detectable in most, but not all, basement membranes of Caenorhabditis elegans and assembles on tissues that do not express it. Journal of Cell Biology 137:1171-1183.
Marion H. Sibley, Patricia L. Graham, Nicola von Mende and James M. Kramer (1994). Mutations in the alpha 2(IV) collagen gene of Caenorhabditis elegans produce phenotypes of differing severities. EMBO J. 13: 3278-3285.
Patricia L. Graham, Tim Schedl and Judith Kimble (1993). More mog genes that influence the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in the hermaphrodite germline of Caenorhabditis elegans. Developmental Genetics 14:471-484.
Patricia L. Graham and Judith Kimble (1993). The mog-1 gene is required for the switch from spermatogenesis to oogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 133:919-931.
Tim Schedl, Patricia L. Graham, M. Kathryn Barton and Judith Kimble (1989). Analysis of the role of tra-1 in germline sex determination in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 123:755-769.
William R. Engels, Wendy K. Bentz, Christine R. Preston, Patricia L. Graham, Randall W. Phillips and Hugh M. Robertson (1987). Somatic effects of P element activity in Drosophila melanogaster: Pupal lethality. Genetics 117:743-757.
Education
Northwestern Medical School (1992-1995)
Post-doctoral fellow, Advisor Dr. James Kramer
University of Wisconsin-Madison (1986-1992)
PhD in Genetics, Advisor Dr. Judith Kimble
Cornell University (1982-1986)
BA in Biology, undergraduate research adviser Dr. Ken Kempheus
Post-doctoral fellow, Advisor Dr. James Kramer
University of Wisconsin-Madison (1986-1992)
PhD in Genetics, Advisor Dr. Judith Kimble
Cornell University (1982-1986)
BA in Biology, undergraduate research adviser Dr. Ken Kempheus
Contact
pgraham1(at)umd(dot)edu