Barbara Barylko, Ph.D. - Faculty Profile

Biography

I received my PhD from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology based on studies of troponin, a protein which regulates skeletal muscle contraction. My interest in the cytoskeleton, mainly in the regulation of non-muscle myosin, began during a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD). I continued this research upon returning to the Nencki Institute as an adjunct professor.

Since coming to UT Southwestern in 1989, I have focused on trying to understand how unconventional (i.e., non-filamentous) myosin generates force for the lateral movement of proteins in the plasma membrane and for the translocation of endocytic and exocytic vesicles through the cytoplasm. At present, I am examining the possible role of a single-headed myosin, myo 1c, in stimulus-dependent trafficking of the cell surface receptors. This myosin has already been implicated in the translocation of ion channels of the ear during auditory adaptation, and in insulin-stimulated mobilization of glucose transporter (GLUT4) in adipocytes. Recently, we demonstrated that myo 1c associates with low buoyant density subdomains of the plasma membrane, often termed lipid rafts. Our current focus is to determine the mechanism of this association and, more importantly, its functional significance in cells.

Education

Graduate School: Unlisted - International Colle (1965), Biology
Graduate School: Unlisted - International Colle (1974), Biology

Research Interest

Actin-dependent motility
Myosin

Publications

Featured Publications

A novel family of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase conserved from yeast to humans.: Barylko, B., Gerber, S.H., Binns, D.D., Grichine, N., Khvotchev, M. , Sudhof, T.C., Albanesi, J.P. J. Biol. Chem. 2001 276/11 7705-7708
Tissue distribution and subcellular localization of mammalian myosin I.: Wagner, MC., Barylko, B., Albanesi, JP. J Cell Biol. October 1992 119(1) 163-170
Purification and characterization of mammalian myosin I.: Barylko, B., Wagner, M.C., Reizes, O., and Albanesi, J.P. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1992 89 490-494
Proteolytic fragmentation of brain myosin and localization of the heavy-chain phosphorylation site.: Barylko, B., Tooth, P., and Kendrick-Jones, J. Eur. J. Biochem. 1986 158 271-282
Phosphorylation and actin activation of brain myosin.: Barylko, B., and Sobieszek, A. EMBO J 1983 2 369-374
Molecular determinants of activation and membrane targeting of phosphoinositol 4-kinase IIbeta.: Jung, G., Wang J., Wlodarski, P., Barylko, B., Binns, DD., Shu, H., Yin, HL., Albanesi, JP. Biochem J. January 2008 409(2) 501-509
Structure, function, and regulation of myosin 1C.: Barylko, B., Jung, G., Albanesi, JP. Acta Biochim Pol. May 2005 52(2) 373-380
Saccharomyces cervisiae contains a type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase.: Shelton, S.N., Barylko, B., Binns, D.D., Horazdovsky, B.F., Albanesi, J.P., and Goodman, J.M. Biochem. J. April 2003 37(1) 533-540
Analysis of the catalytic domain of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase type II.: Barylko, B., Wlodarski, P., Binns, D.D., Gerber, S.H., Earnest, S., Sudhof, T.C., Grichine, N., Albanesi, J.P. J. Biol. Chem. 2002 277/46 44366-44375
Type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase beta is a cytosolic and peripheral membrane protein that is recruited to the plasma membrane and activated by Rac-GTP.: Wei, Y.J., Sun, H.Q., Yamamoto, M., Wlodarski, P., Kunii, K., Martinez, M., Barylko, B., Albanesi, J.P., and Yin, H.L. J. Biol. Chem. 2002 277/48 46586-46593