Measday, Vivien

Vivien Measday

Associate Member

Associate Professor, Wine Research Centre,
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Associate Member of the Michael Smith Laboratories
Canada Research Chair and MSFH

Education

University of British Columbia, 1991, BSc, Dept. Biochemistry

University of Toronto, 1998, PhD, Dept. Medical Genetics and Microbiology

University of British Columbia, 2003, Post-doctoral Research, Dept. Medical Genetics

Contact

Office: Food, Nutrition & Health Bldg, 325
Office Phone: (604) 827–5744
Fax: (604) 822–5143
E-mail: vivien.measday@ubc.ca
Website: https://measday-lab.landfood.ubc.ca

Research
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Research Interest

The goal of my lab is to understand how mobile genetic elements are targeted into the genome using budding yeast as a model system. Retrotransposons are repetitive DNA elements in the genome that can replicate and insert a new copy into the genome via an RNA intermediate.  The Ty1 retrotransposon of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) is an excellent model system to study retroviral integration because the process of Ty1 retrotransposition resembles that of retroviruses including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) which is the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).  The integration of retroviral DNA into genomes is not a random process but requires targeting by the interaction of retroviral integrase (IN) with host proteins to regions of the genome that will cause minimal damage to the host. The Ty1 element inserts upstream of genes transcribed by RNA Polymerase (Pol) III such as transfer RNA (tRNA) genes.

RNA Polymerase III subunits are host factors that help target Ty1-IN and its associated complementary DNA (Ty1 cDNA) upstream of tRNA genes the S. cerevisiae genome. Another critical feature of Ty1 insertion is that it requires nucleosomes and inserts twice per nucleosome. We have established a collaboration with an RNA Polymerase III expert, Dr. Hung-Ta Chen, at Institute of Molecular Biology, Academic Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan to identify RNA Pol III subunits needed for Ty1 insertion into the genome.

Current Projects:

  •  Identification of RNA Pol III subunits critical for Ty1-Integrase targeting in Saccharomyces cerevisia
  • Whole genome-mapping of Ty1 element insertion in RNA Pol III mutant strains
  • Analysis of structural chromosome complexes required for Ty1 insertion
Publications
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Comprehensive List

Selected Publications

  1. McCarthy, G. C., Morgan, S. C., Martiniuk, J. T., Newman, B.L., Measday, V. and Durall, D. M. (2020) “An indigenous Saccharomyces uvarum population with high genetic diversity dominates uninoculated Chardonnay fermentations at a Canadian Winery”, in revision for PLOS ONE
  2. Cheng, E.*, Martiniuk, J. T.*, Hamilton, J., McCarthy, G., Castellarin, S. D. and Measday, V. (2020) “Characterization of Sub-Regional Variation in Saccharomyces Populations and Grape Phenolic Composition in Pinot Noir Vineyards of a Canadian Wine Region”, Frontiers in Genetics, in press.
  3. Cheung, S., Manhas, S. and Measday, V. (2018) “Retrotransposon targeting to RNA Polymerase III-transcribed genes”. Mobile DNA  April 23; 9:14.
  4. Manhas, S., Ma, L. and Measday, V. (2018) “The yeast Ty1 retrotransposon requires components of the Nuclear Pore Complex for transcription and genomic integration” Nucleic Acids Research 2018 Apr 20; 46(7)3552-3578.
  5. Martiniuk, J.T., Pacheco, B., Russell, G., Tong, S., Backstrom, I. and Measday, V. (2016) “Impact of Commercial Strain Use on Saccharomyces cerevisiae Population Structure and Dynamics in Pinot Noir Vineyards and Spontaneous Fermentations of a Canadian Winery” PLOS ONE, Aug 23;11(8):e0160259
  6. Cheung, S., Ma, L., Chan, P.H., Hu, H.L., Mayor, T., Chen, H.T. and Measday, V.  (2016) “Ty1 integrase interacts with RNA Polymerase III-specific subcomplexes to promote insertion of Ty1 elements upstream of Polymerase (Pol) III-transcribed genes” Journal of Biological Chemistry, Mar18; 291(12): 6396-411
  7. Measday, V. and Stirling, P.C.  (2016) “Navigating yeast genome maintenance with functional genomics” Briefings in Functional Genomics, Mar; 15(2): 119-29
  8. Ho, K., Ma, L., Cheung, S., Manhas, S., Fang, N., Wang, K., Young, B., Loewen, C., Mayor, T. and Measday, V. (2015) “A role for the budding yeast separase, Esp1, in Ty1 element retrotransposition” PLOS Genetics Mar 30; 11(3):e1005109
  9. Luo, Z., Walkey, C.J., Madilao, L. L. Measday, V. and van Vuuren, H.J.J. (2013) “Functional improvement of S. cerevisiae to reduce volatile acidity in wine” FEMS Yeast Research 13(5): 485-494
  10. McQueen, J., van Dyk, D., Young, B., Loewen, C. and Measday, V. (2012) “The Mck1 GSK-3 kinase inhibits the activity of Cdk2-Cdk1 post-nuclear division.” Cell Cycle 11(18); 3421-3432
  11. Ma, L., Ho, K., Piggott, N., Luo, Z. and Measday, V. (2012) “Interactions between the Ndc80 kinetochore complex and the protein kinase A pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae” G3:  Genes, Genomes, Genetics 2(7): 831-41
  12. Anderson, M. J., Barker, S. L., Boone, C. and Measday, V. (2012) “Identification of RCN1 and RSA3 as ethanol tolerant genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a high copy barcoded library” FEMS Yeast Research 12(1): 48-60
  13. Piggott, N., Cook, M., Tyers, M. and Measday, V.  (2011) “Genome-wide fitness profiles reveal a requirement for autophagy during yeast fermentation” G3:  Genes, Genomes, Genetics 1(5): 353-367
  14. Walkey, C.J., Luo, Z., Borcher, C.H., Measday, V. and van Vuuren, H.J.  (2011) “The Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation stress response protein Igd1/Yfr017p regulates glycogen levels by inhibiting the glycogen debranching enzyme” FEMS Yeast Research 11(6): 499-508
  15. Ma, L., McQueen, J., Cuschieri, L., Vogel, J. and Measday, V.  (2007) “Spc24 and Stu2 promote spindle integrity when DNA replication is stalled” Molecular Biology of the Cell 18(8): 2805-2816

*these 2 authors contributed equally to this work

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