William Prinz, Ph.D.

The Prinz lab studies organelle biogenesis and intracellular lipid trafficking and homeostasis. There are several related questions we are working to answer:

• What is the mechanism and function of lipid exchange at membrane contacts sites?
• How do ER-subdomains form and how do they contribute to lipid metabolism and organelle biogenesis?
• How are lipid droplets and lipoproteins, such as VLDL, produced in the ER?

We address these questions with a combination of cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, and high-throughput screening. For more details, see our website: https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/prinz-lab.

Dr. Prinz received a B.A. from Vassar College. He did his Ph.D. with Jon Beckwith and his post-doc with Tom Rapoport, both at Harvard Medical School. He was at NIH for 21 years before coming to UTSW as the Chair of the Cell Biology Department in 2022.

Dr. Prinz is on the Editorial Boards of The Journal of Cell Biology, Developmental Cells, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Contact.

• Intracellular lipid trafficking and homeostasis
• Lipid droplet and lipoprotein biogenesis
• Membrane contact sites
• Organelle biogenesis

Featured Publications

Vps13-like proteins provide phosphatidylethanolamine for GPI anchor synthesis in the ER.

Toulmay A, Whittle FB, Yang J, Bai X, Diarra J, Banerjee S, Levine TP, Golden A, Prinz WA, J Cell Biol 2022 03 221 3

Retinyl esters form lipid droplets independently of triacylglycerol and seipin.

Molenaar MR, Yadav KK, Toulmay A, Wassenaar TA, Mari MC, Caillon L, Chorlay A, Lukmantara IE, Haaker MW, Wubbolts RW, Houweling M, Vaandrager AB, Prieur X, Reggiori F, Choudhary V, Yang H, Schneiter R, Thiam AR, Prinz WA, Helms JB, J Cell Biol 2021 10 220 10

Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1), Protein Kinase A (PKA) and Cytosolic pH Regulate a Transcriptional Circuit for Lipid Droplet Formation.

Teixeira V, Martins TS, Prinz WA, Costa V, Int J Mol Sci 2021 Aug 22 16

ESCRTs got your Bac!

Deo RA, Prinz WA, Cell 2021 07 184 14 3591-3592

Multiple C2 domain-containing transmembrane proteins promote lipid droplet biogenesis and growth at specialized endoplasmic reticulum subdomains.

Joshi AS, Ragusa JV, Prinz WA, Cohen S, Mol Biol Cell 2021 06 32 12 1147-1157

VPS13D promotes peroxisome biogenesis.

Baldwin HA, Wang C, Kanfer G, Shah HV, Velayos-Baeza A, Dulovic-Mahlow M, Brüggemann N, Anding A, Baehrecke EH, Maric D, Prinz WA, Youle RJ, J Cell Biol 2021 05 220 5

Correction: Membrane expansion alleviates endoplasmic reticulum stress independently of the unfolded protein response.

Schuck S, Prinz WA, Thorn KS, Voss C, Walter P, J Cell Biol 2021 04 220 4

Mechanisms of nonvesicular lipid transport.

Reinisch KM, Prinz WA, J Cell Biol 2021 03 220 3

The yeast FIT2 homologs are necessary to maintain cellular proteostasis and membrane lipid homeostasis.

Yap WS, Shyu P, Gaspar ML, Jesch SA, Marvalim C, Prinz WA, Henry SA, Thibault G, J Cell Sci 2020 11 133 21

Seipin and Nem1 establish discrete ER subdomains to initiate yeast lipid droplet biogenesis.

Choudhary V, El Atab O, Mizzon G, Prinz WA, Schneiter R, J Cell Biol 2020 07 219 7

• Keynote speaker, Gordon Research Conference on Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism and Function
  (2023)
• Keynote speaker, Cellular Biology of Lipids Gordon Research Seminar
  (2019)
• Keynote speaker, 12th Yeast Lipid Conference
  (2015)
• Co-organizer of ASBMB/Biochemical Society Symposia on Cellular Lipid Transport
  (2011)
• Co-chairman of minisymposium at ASCB Annual Meeting
  (2010)
• Senior post-doctoral fellowship, American Cancer Society
  (2000-2001)
• Post-doctoral fellowship, American Cancer Society
  (1997-2000)
• Bernard Fields Prize; best PhD thesis in Microbiology Dept., Harvard Med. Sch.
  (1996)
• Pre-doctoral training fellowship from the National Eye Institute
  (1990-1995)

• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2010)
• American Society for Cell Biology (2002)
• Professor and Chair of Cell Biology at UTSW (2022)