Anna Marie Skalka
Director, Institute for Cancer Research
Senior Vice President, Basic Science, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Adjunct Professor, Dept of Microbiology

Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology Program

Address

333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111

Office tel.: 215 728-2490
Fax: 215 728-2778
E-mail: AM_Skalka@fccc.edu


Education

Adelphi University: AB (Biology), 1959.

Yale University: PhD Candidate (Microbiology), 1960.

New York University Medical School: PhD (Microbiology/Biochemistry), 1964.

Research Interests

• Retroviral DNA integration
  
• Mechanisms that control retroviral gene expression

Key words: DNA integration, DNA repair, retrovirus replication, epigenetic control of gene expression

Description of Research

The work in our laboratory is focused on obtaining a detailed understanding of the mechanism by which retroviral DNA is integrated into its host cell chromatin and to discover the epigenetic factors and processes that affect its subsequent expression.  Retroviruses are of special interest, not only because they are agents of disease, including cancer, but also because they are important as vehicles for the insertion of desired genes into target cells for scientific investigation and gene therapy.  We exploit a broad range of investigational approaches from biochemical and biophysical analyses of protein function, to in vivo studies of viral replication and cell biology.  This comprehensive approach provides unique insights, and excellent opportunities for cross-discipline training and collaboration.  Our continuing overarching goals are to uncover new information of fundamental importance to both virus and cell biology, and to identity new targets for therapies to treat retroviral disease.

Selected Publications

Poleshko, A., Palagin, I., Zhang, R., Boimel, P., Castagna, C., Adams, P.D., Skalka, A.M. and Katz, R.A. Identification of cellular proteins that maintain retroviral epigenetic silencing:Evidence for an antiviral response. J. Virol. 82:2313-2323, 2008.

Katz, R.A., Jack-Scott, E., Narezkina, A., Palagin, I., Boimel, P., Kulkosky, J., Nicolas, E., Greger, J.G. and Skalka, A.M. High frequency epigenetic repression and silencing of retroviruses can be antagonized by HDAC inhibitors and transcriptional activators, but uniform reactivation in cell clones is restricted by additional mechanisms. J. Virol. 81(6):2592-2604, 2007

Ramcharan, J., Colleluori, D. M., Merkel, G., Andrake, M.D. and Skalka, A.M. Mode of Inhibition of HIV-1 integrase by a C-terminal domain-specific monoclonal antibody. Retrovirology 3:34, 2006

Skalka, A.M. and Katz, R.A. Retroviral DNA integration and the DNA damage response. Cell Death and Differentiation, AOP March 11, 2005

Katz, R.A., Greger, J.G. and Skalka, A.M. Effects of cell cycle status on early events in retroviral replication. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 94:880-889, 2005.

Flint, S.J., Enquist, L.W., Racaniello, V.R., Skalka, A.M. Principles of Virology. Molecular Biiology, Pathogenesis and Control of Animal Viruses, 2nd edition, 918 pages. ASM Press, Washington, D.C., 2004

Search PubMed for more articles

Lab

Rotation Projects

• Use of retroviruses to study gene silencing: Use of genetic, biochemical and biophysical methods to study the mechanism of retroviral DNA integration.

Lab personnel

Richard A. Katz, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Laboratory Chief
Mark D. Andrake, Ph.D., Research Associate
Dineshkumar Dandekar, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate
Andrey Poleshko, Graduate Student, Novosibirsk State University, Koltsovo, Russia
Natalia Shalginskikh, Graduate Student, Russian State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
George W. Merkel, M.S., Scientific Assistant
Patricia Roat, Scientific Technician
Dasha Savage, Student Assistant, Central High School, Philadelphia, PA
Daniel Lipsman, Student Assistant, Central High School, Philadelphia, PA
Daniela Hess, Student Assistant, Fordham Univ., Bronx, NY
Olga Yarychkivska, Student Assistant, Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA
Adam Henderson, Student Assistant, Germantown Academy, Ft. Washington, PA