Biomolecular Chemistry
A Century of Research Excellence: 1921-2021

Michael D. Sheets

Credentials: RNA regulation of cell fate and function

Position title: Professor

Email: mdsheets@wisc.edu

Phone: (608) 262-9452

Address:
5260B Biochemical Sciences Building
440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706

Education

B.S. 1982, Purdue University
Ph.D. 1989, University of Wisconsin
Postdoctoral 1990-1992, University of Wisconsin (M. Wickens)
Postdoctoral 1992-1996, University of California, Berkeley (J. Gerhart)

Honors & Awards

1996 Issued a license on a method to produce human antibodies in E.coli
1997 Issued a Patent on Applications of Prosthetic RNA
1997 Howard Hughes Career Development Institutional Award
1997 March of Dimes Basil O’Connor Scholar
1998 Pew Scholar Biomedical Sciences
1998 Beckman Young Investigator
1999 Shaw Award Milwaukee Foundation
2003 Associate Editor Developmental Dynamics
2008 Executive Board member Beckman Foundation

Research Interests

Throughout an animal’s lifespan, essential cell-fate decisions drive normal development, growth, and overall organismal health. These decisions rely on precise temporal and spatial expression of specific proteins. In early vertebrate development and certain adult cell types like those in the nervous system, regulated protein expression heavily depends on post-transcriptional mechanisms, especially translational control. To address this fundamental issue, we are focused on Bicaudal-C (Bicc1), a conserved RNA-binding protein crucial for translational regulation and essential for the normal development of vertebrate embryos and adult organ formation. By leveraging extensive conceptual and technical progress from the past decade, we are elucidating how Bicc1 selects its target mRNAs, represses their translation to modulate the synthesis of proteins crucial for cell-fate specification. We use Xenopus embryos and a multidisciplinary strategy that integrates RNA-protein biochemistry, unique translation-reporter assays, genome-enabled approaches, reverse molecular genetics, and embryology to define the molecular mechanisms through which Bicc1 directs the synthesis of specific proteins. Our work positions Bicc1 as a paradigm for understanding how RNA-binding proteins control mRNA translation to guide complex cell-fate decisions.

 

Michael D. Sheets Publications

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