The Olin Fellowships recognize superior accomplishments in biomedical research by doctoral students at Washington University. Josh Brickner, from the laboratory of Nima Mosammaparast, PhD, is one of five students selected for the 2017-2018 honor.
Josh Brickner studies the mechanism by which the ASCC-ALKBH3 repair complex is recruited to sites of alkylation damage. He found that recruitment of this repair complex is mediated through the recognition of K63-polyubiquitin by the subunit ASCC2. He identified the E3 ligase RNF113A as the E3 ligase responsible for upstream ubiquitin signaling in the recruitment pathway. Interestingly, cells from patients with X-linked trichothiodystrophy (TTD), which harbor a nonsense mutation in RNF113A, are hypersensitive to alkylating agents. He now focuses on the mechanism by which RNF113A is activated during alkylation.
Twenty-six outstanding students were nominated for the Olin Fellows Award this year, and all are to be commended for their scholarship and contributions to Washington University.