COLLABORATION IN BASIC SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (COBASE)

Mark Olson initiated this US-Russian research partnership with Olga Zatsepina, to study the role of prenucleolar bodies (PNBs) and nucleolus-derived foci (NDF) in the post-mitotic reassembly of the nucleolus, especially with regard to their molecular composition, mechanism, and kinetics of the formation. To that end, Olson welcomed Zatsepina of the A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology at Moscow State University (http://www.genebee.msu.su/institute.html) for a six-month visit to the University of Mississippi Medical Center between February 28 - August 28, 2001. These collaborative efforts offered the two scientists an opportunity to pursue intermediate and long-term objectives, including the determination of the role of specific phosphorylation sites of protein B23 in its location during mitosis.

During her visit, Zatsepina initiated five sub-projects related to the specific aims of the collaboration: examination of factors affecting the formation of NDF; investigation of the role of protein phosphorylation in NDF formation; analyses of NDF and PNBs for ribosomal proteins; exploration of cellular locations of mutant forms of protein B23 and location of fibrillarin in chromosomal nucleolar organizer regions. The visit proved mutually beneficial to both Olson and Zatsepina in several ways. Zatsepina introduced several new biochemical and molecular biology techniques and shared her extensive knowledge of cell biology. Additionally, she worked with two graduate students and a senior research associate, who learned a great deal from her. Finally, due to the two scientists' complementary but different perspectives on the workings of cell nucleolus, they were able to develop fresh approaches to their research projects.

Because it was not possible to complete the initiated research projects during the time of the visit, their collaboration will continue in the future. During the visit, Olson and Zatsepina wrote and submitted two grant proposals, one for the National Science Foundation and one for the Civilian Research and Development Foundation. Zatsepina would like to come for another visit in early 2002 to complete unfinished work, but in the meantime, they have begun writing joint papers on the data obtained.

Dr. Mark Olson

Dr. Olga Zatsepina