Yuh Min Chook, Ph.D. Professor Endowed Title Alfred and Mabel Gilman Chair in Molecular Pharmacology; Eugene McDermott Scholar in Biomedical Research School Medical School Department Pharmacology | Biophysics Graduate Programs Molecular Biophysics Biography Dr. Chook received an AB degree in Chemistry and Biology (major at Haverford College) from Bryn Mawr College in 1988. She received a PhD in Biophysics in 1994 from Harvard University, where she studied the structures and mechanism of chorismate mutase with William Lipscomb. Her postdoctoral work was with Emil Pai and Tony Pawson in Toronto studying signal transduction in the Ras pathway, and with Günter Blobel at the Rockefeller University studying the mechanisms of nuclear import. In December of 2001, Dr Chook joined the Department of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern as an Assistant Professor and Eugene McDermott Scholar in Biomedical Research. The Chook laboratory aims to understand mechanisms of nucleocytoplasmic transport and molecular recognition by the Karyopherin-β nuclear transport receptors (Kaps; Importins and Exportins), classify nuclear traffic, and discover how Kapβs organize and regulate cellular functions. They seek to discover these roles of Kaps through a combination of structural, biochemical, biophysical, bioinformatics and cell biological investigations focused on Kap-cargo interactions. Education Graduate School Bryn Mawr College , Chemistry Graduate School Bryn Mawr College , Biology Graduate School Harvard University (1993) Research Interest Biochemistry Bioinformatics Biophysics Cell Biology Protein transport, nucleocytoplasmic transport, targeting signals Structural Biology Publications Featured Publications Recognition of nuclear export signals by CRM1 carrying the oncogenic E571K mutation. Baumhardt JM, Walker JS, Lee Y, Shakya B, Brautigam CA, Lapalombella R, Grishin N, Chook YM, Mol. Biol. Cell 2020 Jun mbcE20040233 Karyopherins and condensates. Springhower CE, Rosen MK, Chook YM, Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 2020 May 64 112-123 Importin-9 wraps around the H2A-H2B core to act as nuclear importer and histone chaperone. Padavannil A, Sarkar P, Kim SJ, Cagatay T, Jiou J, Brautigam CA, Tomchick DR, Sali A, D'Arcy S, Chook YM, Elife 2019 Mar 8 Correlation of CRM1-NES affinity with nuclear export activity. Fu SC, Fung HYJ, Cagatay T, Baumhardt J, Chook YM Mol. Biol. Cell 2018 Jun mbcE18020096 Nuclear Import Receptor Inhibits Phase Separation of FUS through Binding to Multiple Sites. Yoshizawa T, Ali R, Jiou J, Fung HYJ, Burke KA, Kim SJ, Lin Y, Peeples WB, Saltzberg D, Soniat M, Baumhardt JM, Oldenbourg R, Sali A, Fawzi NL, Rosen MK, Chook YM Cell 2018 Apr 173 3 693-705.e22 Nuclear-Import Receptors Reverse Aberrant Phase Transitions of RNA-Binding Proteins with Prion-like Domains. Guo L, Kim HJ, Wang H, Monaghan J, Freyermuth F, Sung JC, O'Donovan K, Fare CM, Diaz Z, Singh N, Zhang ZC, Coughlin M, Sweeny EA, DeSantis ME, Jackrel ME, Rodell CB, Burdick JA, King OD, Gitler AD, Lagier-Tourenne C, Pandey UB, Chook YM, Taylor JP, Shorter J Cell 2018 Apr 173 3 677-692.e20 Karyopherins in cancer. Çagatay T, Chook YM Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 2018 Jan 52 30-42 Nuclear export receptor CRM1 recognizes diverse conformations in nuclear export signals. Fung HY, Fu SC, Chook YM Elife 2017 Mar 6 Structural determinants of nuclear export signal orientation in binding CRM1. Fung HY, Fu SC, Brautigam CA, Chook YM Elife 2015 Sep 4 LocNES: a computational tool for locating classical NESs in CRM1 cargo proteins. Xu D, Marquis K, Pei J, Fu SC, Cagatay T, Grishin NV, Chook YM Bioinformatics 2014 Dec Results 1-10 of 54 1 2 3 4 5 Next Last Books Featured Books Chorismate Mutase, essentially a template enzyme. Chapter 17, 235-244.. In Biological NMR Spectroscopy. John L. Markley, Stanley Opella and Richard Ernst (editors). Lipscomb, W.N., Chook, Y.M. and Ke, H. (1997). Oxford University Press. Structural Analysis of Karyopherin-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport.. In Nuclear Transport, edited by Ralph Kehlenbach. Zhang, Z. C. and Chook, Y. M. (2009). Landes Bioscience. Honors & Awards Alfred and Mabel Gilman Chair in Molecular Pharmacology (2018) The Edith and Peter ODonnell Award in ScienceTexas Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science (2015) Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar Award (2010) Eugene McDermott Scholar in Biomedical ResearchU.T. Southwestern Endowed Scholar Award (2001) Life Sciences Research Foundation Postdoctoral FellowshipRockefeller University (1996) Human Frontiers in Science Program Postdoctoral FellowshipUniversity of Toronto/Mount Sinai Hospital (1994) Certificate of Distinction in TeachingHarvard-Danforth Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University (1990)
