Faculty
Heather Pinkett
Assistant Professor
Molecular Biosciences
PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Email: h-pinkett@northwestern.edu
Phone: (847) 467-4048
Fax: (847) 467-1380
Room: Cook 4133
Research Interests
From bacteria to mammals, ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters are prevalent in many cells. ABC transporters import or export a broad spectrum of substrates, including lipids, polysaccharides, proteins or toxins across cellular membranes. With 48 known genes in the human genome, this family of membrane spanning transport proteins plays a significant role in human disease. The ABC transporter multidrug resistance protein 1 is responsible for the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy, while mutations in the ABC transporter cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) lead to cystic fibrosis, the most frequently occurring deadly inherited disease.
My laboratory focuses on several ABC transporters to address a variety of fundamental questions that are of paramount importance; (1) how are substrates recognized during the transport process (2) how is ATP hydrolysis coupled with translocation and (3) what is the mechanism of transport for these proteins. Using a combination of crystallographic and biochemical studies, we can determine the three-dimensional structure of the molecule to understand the structural and functional roles of individual components of transporters and interactions in complex. The ultimate goal is to capture snapshots of substrate transport as these ABC transporters pump things into or out of the cell, in hopes of controlling protein function or malfunction.
Selected Publications
Classification of a Haemophilus influenzae ABC Transporter HI1470/71 through Its Cognate Molybdate Periplasmic Binding Protein, MolA. Tirado-Lee L, Lee A, Rees DC, and Pinkett HW. Structure. 2011 November 9;19(11):1701-1710.
An Inward-Facing Conformation of a Putative Metal-Chelate-Type ABC Transporter. Pinkett HW, Lee AT, Lum P, Locher KP, and Rees DC. Science. 2007 January 19;315(5810):373-377.
The Structural Basis of Cooperative Regulation at an Alternate Genetic Switch. Pinkett HW, Shearwin KE, Stayrook S, Dodd IB, Burr T, Hochschild A, Egan JB, and Lewis M. Molecular Cell. 2006 March 3;21(5):605-615.
Melanoma mouse model implicates metabotropic glutamate signaling in melanocytic neoplasia. Pollock PM, Cohen-Solal K, Sood R, Namkoong J, Martino JJ, Koganti A, Zhu H, Robbins C, Makalowska I, Shin S-S, Marin Y, Roberts KG, Yudt LM, Chen A, Cheng J, Incao A, Pinkett HW, Graham CL, Dunn K, Crespo-Carbone SM, Mackason KR, Ryan KB, Sinsimer D, Goydos J, Reuhl KR, Eckhaus M, Meltzer PS, Pavan WJ, Trent JM, and Chen S. Nature Genetics. 2003 May;34(1):108-112.
View all publications by Heather Pinkett listed in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed).