Yeo Lab

Degrees

Ph.D Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, 2011
B.S. Molecular Biology, Pacific University 2004
B.S. Bioinformatics, Pacific University 2004

Summary

Katannya Kapeli received B.S.’s in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics from Pacific University, Oregon in 2004 and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Oregon Health & Science University in 2011. Her graduate work with Dr. Peter Hurlin focused on understanding how aberrant activation of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway leads to deregulation of N-Myc. N-Myc is a potent transcription factor involved in cell proliferation. Overexpression of N-Myc has been implicated in the development of neuroblastoma and is associated with several other nervous system-related cancers. Katannya demonstrated that the Ras/MAPK pathway does not stabilize N-Myc protein as previously thought. Instead, Ras/MAPK signaling induces both the expression and activity of N-Myc through translational and degradation-dependent mechanisms, respectively. These findings suggest that translational upregulation and enhanced transcriptional activity of N-Myc by Ras/MAPK signaling is an important mechanism driving N-Myc deregulation in cancers. As a postdoctoral fellow, Katannya is investigating the role of neuronal RNA binding proteins in translational control and seeks to understand how disruption of these RNA binding proteins contribute to the pathogenesis of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Publications

Kapeli K, Martinez FJ, Yeo GW. Genetic mutations in RNA‐binding proteins and their roles in ALS [Human Genetics]. 2017

Kapeli K and Yeo GW. Genome-wide approaches to dissect the roles of RNA binding proteins in translational control: implications for neurological diseases Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2012.

Wilbert MW, Huelga SC, Kapeli K, Stark TJ, Liang TY, Chen SX, Yan BY, Nathanson JL, Hutt KR, Lovci MT, Kazan H, Vu AQ, Massirer KB, Morris Q, Hoon S, Yeo GW. LIN28 binds messenger RNAs at GGAGA motifs and regulates splicing factor abundance. Molecular Cell, 2012. [Mol Cell]

Kapeli, K and Hurlin PJ. Differential regulation of N-Myc and c-Myc synthesis, degradation, and transcriptional activity by the Ras/MAPK pathway. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2011; 286(44):38498-38508.

Maslen CL, Babcock D, Redig JK, Kapeli K, Akkari YM, Olson SB. CRELD2: Gene mapping, alternate splicing, and comparative genomic identification of the promoter region. Gene. 2008; 382:111-120.