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CV for Kai Zinn:
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Kai Zinn
Professor of Biology
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA

Education:
B.A. in Chemistry with specialization in Biochemistry, summa cum laude, from Revelle College, University of California, San Diego (1977).

Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, from Harvard University (1984). Thesis advisor: Tom Maniatis

Research and Professional Experience:
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, 1984-1985, with Tom Maniatis
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley, 1985-1989, with Corey S. Goodman
Assistant Professor, California Institute of Technology, 1989-1995.
Associate Professor, California Institute of Technology, 1995-1999
Professor, California Institute of Technology, 1999-present

Honors and Awards:
National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship 1978-1981
Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship 1985-1988
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in Neuroscience, 1990-1992
McKnight Scholars Award, 1990-1993
Pew Scholars Award, 1990-1994
March of Dimes Foundation Basil O'Connor Starter Scholars Award, 1990-1992
McKnight Investigator Award, 1994-1997
McKnight Brain Disorders Award, 2005-2007

Review activities:
Member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Development
Editorial board member for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
Editorial board member for Neural Development
Past member of NIH NDPR study section.

Publications:

Salazar, A.M., Silverman, E.J., and Zinn, K. (2007) Regulation of synaptic Pumilio function by a glutamine/asparagine-rich domain. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Jeon, M., Nguyen, H., Bahri, S., and Zinn, K. (2007). Redundancy and compensation in axon guidance: genetic analysis of the Drosophila Ptp10D/Ptp4E receptor tyrosine phosphatase subfamily. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Kurusu, M., and Zinn, K. (2007) Receptor tyrosine phosphatases regulate birth order-dependent axonal fasciculation and midline repulsion during development of the Drosophila mushroom body. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Ratnarparkhi, A., and Zinn, K. (2007) The secreted cell signal Folded Gastrulation regulates glial morphogenesis and axon guidance in Drosophila. Developmental Biology 308, 158-168.

Zinn, K. (2007) Dscam and neuronal uniqueness (Review). Cell 129, 455-456.

Fox, A.N., and Zinn, K. (2005) The transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan Syndecan is an in vivo ligand for the DLAR receptor tyrosine phosphatase. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Sherwood, N.T., Sun, Q., Xue, M., Zhang, B., and Zinn, K. (2004) Drosophila Spastin regulates synaptic microtubule networks and is required for normal motor function. PLOS Biology 2, 2094-2111.

Menon, K., Sanyal, S. Habara, Y., Sanchez, R., Wharton, R.P., Ramaswami, M., and Zinn, K. (2004) The translational repressor Pumilio regulates presynaptic morphology and controls postsynaptic accumulation of translation factor eIF-4E. Neuron 44, 663-676.

Zinn, K. (2004) Dendritic tiling: new insights from genetics. Neuron 44, 211-213.

Kraut, R., and Zinn, K. (2004) Roundabout 2 regulates migration of sensory neurons by signaling in trans. Current Biology 14, 319-329.

Cepko, C.L., and Zinn, K. (2002) Development: an editorial overview. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 12, 11-13.

Schmid, A., Schindelholz, B., and Zinn, K. (2002) Combinatorial RNAi: a method for evaluating the functions of gene families in Drosophila. Trends in Neuroscience 25, 71-74.

Dubuque, S.H., Schachtner, J., Nighorn, A.J., Menon, K., Zinn, K., and Tolbert, L.P. (2001) Immunolocalization of synaptotagmin for the study of synapses in the developing antennal lobe of Manduca sexta. J. Comp. Neurol. 441, 277-287.

Schindelholz, B., Knirr, M., Warrior, R., and Zinn, K. (2001) Regulation of CNS and motor axon guidance in Drosophila by the receptor tyrosine phosphatase DPTP52F. Development 128, 4371-4382.

Kraut, R., Menon, K., and Zinn, K. (2001) A gain-of-function screen for genes controlling motor axon guidance and synaptogenesis in Drosophila. Current Biology 11, 417-430. (plus an online supplement, pp. S1-S24).

Sun, Q., Schindelholz, B., Knirr, M., Schmid, A., and Zinn, K. (2001) Complex genetic interactions among four receptor tyrosine phosphatases regulate axon guidance in Drosophila. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience 17, 274-291.

Sun, Q., Bahri, S., Schmid, A., Chia, W., and Zinn, K. (2000) Receptor tyrosine phosphatases regulate axon guidance across the midline of the Drosophila embryo. Development 127, 801-812.

Zinn, K., and Schmid, A. (1999). Derailed axons get on track. (Review) Nature 402, 475-476.

Garrity, P.A., Lee, C-H., Salecker, I., Robertson, H., Desai, C.J., Zinn, K., and Zipursky, S.L. (1999) The Drosophila receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase DPTP69D is required for target selection by retinal axons. Neuron 22, 707-717.

Zinn, K., and Sun, Q. (1999) Slit branches out: a secreted protein mediates both attractive and repulsive axon guidance (Review). Cell 97, 1-4.

Desai, C.J., Garrity, P.A., Keshishian, H., Zipursky, S.L., and Zinn, K. (1999) The Drosophila SH2-SH3 adapter protein Dock is expressed in embryonic axons and facilitates synapse formation by the RP3 motoneuron. Development 126, 1527-1535.

Wills, Z., Marr, L., Zinn, K., Goodman, C.S., and Van Vactor, D. (1999) Profilin and the Abl tyrosine kinase are required for motor axon outgrowth in the Drosophila embryo. Neuron 22, 291-299.

Zinn, K. (1998) Receptor tyrosine phosphatases: the worm clears the picture (Review). Current Biology 8, 725-726.

Menon, K.P., and Zinn, K. (1998). Tyrosine kinase inhibition produces specific alterations in axon guidance in the grasshopper embryo. Development 125, 4121-4131.

Gindhart, J.G., Desai, C.J., Beushausen, S., Zinn, K., and Goldstein, L.S.B. (1998) Kinesin light chains are essential for axonal transport in Drosophila. J. Cell Biol. 141, 443-454.

Fashena, S.J., and Zinn, K. (1997) The transmembrane glycoprotein gp150 is a substrate for the receptor tyrosine phosphatase DPTP10D in Drosophila cells. Mol. Cell. Biol. 17, 6859-6867.

Zhang, Y., Chou, J.H., Bradley, J., Bargmann, C.I., and Zinn, K. (1997) The C. elegans 7-transmembrane protein ODR-10 functions as an odorant receptor in mammalian cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 12162-12167.

Condron, B.G., and Zinn, K. (1997) Regulated neurite tension as a mechanism for determination of neuronal arbor geometries in vivo. Current Biology 7, 813-816.

Desai, C.J., Krueger, N.X., Saito, H., and Zinn, K. (1997) Competition and cooperation among receptor tyrosine phosphatases control motoneuron growth cone guidance in Drosophila. Development 124, 1941-1952.

Bradley, J., Zhang, Y., Bakin, R., Lester, H.A., Ronnett, G.V., and Zinn, K. (1997) Functional expression of the heteromeric "olfactory" cyclic nucletotide-gated channel in the hippocampus: a potential effector of synaptic plasticity in brain neurons. J. Neurosci. 17, 1993-2005.

Desai, C.J., Sun, Q., and Zinn, K. (1997) Tyrosine phosphorylation and axon guidance: of flies and mice (Review). Current Opinion in Neurobiology 7, 70-74.

Desai, C.J., Gindhart, J.G., Goldstein, L.S.B., and Zinn, K. (1996) Receptor tyrosine phosphatases are required for motor axon guidance in the Drosophila embryo. Cell 84, 599-609.

Tongiorgi, E., Bernhardt, R.R., Zinn, K., and Schachner, M. (1995) Tenascin-C messenger RNA is expressed in cranial neural crest cells, in some placodal derivatives, and in discrete domains of the embryonic zebrafish brain. J. Neurobiol. 28, 391-407.

Fashena, S.J., and Zinn, K. (1995) The ins and outs of receptor tyrosine phosphatases (Review). Current Biology 5, 1367-1369.

Condron, B.G., and Zinn, K. (1995) Activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase triggers a glial-to-neuronal cell fate switch in an insect neuroblast lineage. Current Biology 5, 51-61.

Hamilton, B.A., Ho, A., and Zinn, K. (1995) Targeted mutagenesis and genetic analysis of a Drosophila receptor-linked protein tyrosine phosphatase gene. Roux's Arch. Dev. Biol. 204, 187-192.

Desai, C.J., Popova, E., and Zinn, K. (1994) A Drosophila receptor tyrosine phosphatase expressed in the embryonic CNS and larval optic lobes is a member of the set of proteins bearing the 'HRP' carbohydrate epitope. J. Neurosci. 14, 7272-7283.

Tian, S-S., and Zinn, K. (1994) An adhesion molecule-like protein that interacts with and is a substrate for a Drosophila receptor-linked protein tyrosine phosphatase. J. Biol. Chem.269, 28478-28486..

Condron, B.G., and Zinn, K. (1994) The grasshopper median neuroblast is a multipotent progenitor cell that generates glia and neurons in distinct temporal phases. J. Neurosci. 14, 5766-5777.

Condron, B.G., Patel, N.H., and Zinn, K. (1994) engrailed controls glial/neuronal cell fate decisions at the midline of the central nervous system. Neuron 13, 541-554.

Bradley, J., Li, J., Davidson, N., Lester, H.A., and Zinn, K. (1994) Heteromeric olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated channels: a subunit that confers increased sensitivity to cAMP. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 8890-8894.

Patel, N.H., Condron, B.G., and Zinn, K. (1994) Pair-rule expression patterns of even-skipped are found in both short and long germ beetles. Nature 367, 429-434.

Hamilton, B.A., and Zinn, K. (1994) From clone to mutant gene. in: Drosophila melanogaster: practical uses in cell and molecular biology. Edited by L.S.B. Goldstein and E.A. Fyrberg; Academic Press, Orlando, FL; pp. 81-94.

Zinn, K., and Condron, B.G. (1994) Cell fate decisions in the grasshopper central nervous system (Review). Current Opinion in Cell Biology 6, 783-787.

Uezono, Y., Bradley, J., Min, C., McCarty, N., Quick, M., Riordan, J.R., Chavkin, C., Zinn, K., Lester, H.A., and Davidson, N. (1993) Receptors that couple to two classes of G proteins increase cAMP and activate CFTR expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Receptors and Channels 1, 233-241.

Wang, W-C., Zinn, K., and Bjorkman, P.J. (1993) Expression and structural studies of fasciclin I, an insect cell adhesion molecule. J. Biol. Chem. 268, 1448-1455.

McAllister, L., Rehm, E.J., Goodman, C.S., and Zinn, K. (1992) Alternative splicing of micro-exons creates multiple forms of the insect cell adhesion molecule fasciclin I. J. Neurosci. 12, 895-905.

McAllister, L., Goodman, C.S., and Zinn, K. (1992) Dynamic expression of the cell adhesion molecule fasciclin I during embryonic development in Drosophila. Development 115, 267-276.

Tian, S-S., Tsoulfas, P., and Zinn, K. (1991) Three receptor-linked protein-tyrosine phosphatases are selectively expressed on central nervous system axons in the Drosophila embryo. Cell 67, 675-685.

Elkins, T., Zinn, K., McAllister, L., Hoffman, F.M., and Goodman, C.S. (1990) Genetic analysis of a Drosophila neural cell adhesion molecule: interaction of fasciclin I and Abelson tyrosine kinase mutations. Cell 60, 565-575.

Zinn, K., McAllister, L., and Goodman, C.S. (1988) Sequence analysis and neuronal expression of fasciclin I in grasshopper and Drosophila. Cell 53, 577-587.

Snow, P.M., Zinn, K., Harrelson, A.L., McAllister, L., Schilling, J., Bastiani, M.J., Makk, G., and Goodman, C.S. (1988) Characterization and cloning of fasciclin I and fasciclin II glycoproteins in the grasshopper. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 5291-5295.

Zinn, K., Keller, A., Whittemore, L-A., and Maniatis, T. (1988) 2-aminopurine selectively inhibits the induction of b-interferon, c-fos, and c-myc gene expression. Science 240, 210-213.

Enoch, T., Zinn, K., and Maniatis, T. (1986) Activation of the human b-interferon gene requires an interferon-inducible factor. Mol. Cell. Biol. 6, 801-810.

Zinn, K., and Maniatis, T. (1986) Detection of factors that interact with the human b-interferon regulatory region in vivo by DNAase I footprinting. Cell 45, 611-618.

Brown, M., McCormack, M., Zinn, K., Farrell, M.P., Bikel, I., and Livingston, D.M. (1986) A recombinant murine retrovirus for large T transforms mouse fibroblasts to anchorage independent growth. J. Virol. 60, 290-293.

Goodbourn, S., Zinn, K., and Maniatis, T. (1985) Human b-interferon gene expression is regulated by an inducible enhancer element. Cell 41, 509-520.

Melton, D.A., Krieg, P.A., Rebagliati, M.R., Maniatis, T., Zinn, K., and Green, M.R. (1984) Efficient in vitro synthesis of biologically active RNA and RNA hybridization probes from plasmids containing a bacteriophage SP6 promoter. Nucl. Acids. Res. 12, 7035-7056.

Zinn, K., DiMaio, D., and Maniatis, T. (1983) Identification of two distinct regulatory regions adjacent to the human b-interferon gene. Cell 34, 865-879.

Zinn, K., Mellon, P., Ptashne, M., and Maniatis, T. (1982) Regulated expression of an extrachromosomal human b-interferon gene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79, 4897-4901.

Stahl, S.J. and Zinn, K. (1981) Nucleotide sequence of the cloned gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. J. Mol. Biol. 148, 481-485.

Smith, R., Zinn, K., and Cantley, L.C. (1980) A study of the vanadate-trapped state of the (Na-K)-ATPase. J. Biol. Chem. 255, 9852-9859.

 

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ZINN LAB
Division of Biology, 114-96
California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91125


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zinnk@caltech.edu