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Brian Wasko

Assistant Professor,
College of Science and Engineering

Contact number: 281-283-3793
Email: wasko@uhcl.edu
Office: B3531

Publications

  • Chen KL, Toby NV, Crane MM, Brunner MLC, Pun AK, Helget KL, Brower K, Chen DE, Doan H, Dillard-Telm JD, Huynh E, Feng YC, Yan Z, Golubeva A, Hsu RA, Knight R, Levin J, Mobasher V, Muir M, Omokehinde V, Screws C, Tunali E, Tran RK, Valdez L, Yang E, Kennedy SR, Herr AJ, Kaeberlein M and Wasko BM. Loss of vacuolar acidity results in iron sulfur cluster defects and divergent homeostatic responses during aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.  GeroScience. 2020.
  • Lee MB, Dowsett IT, Carr DT, Wasko BM, Stanton SG, Chung MS, Ghodsian N, Bode A, Kiflezghi MG, Uppal PU, Grayden KA, Elala YC, Tang TT, Tran N, Tran T, Diep AB, Hope M, Promislow DEL, Kennedy SR, Kaeberlein M, Herr AJ. Defining the impact of mutation accumulation on replicative lifespan in yeast using cancer-associated mutator phenotypes. PNAS. 2019. PMID 30718408
  • Beaupere C, Dinatto L, Wasko BM, Chen RB, VanValkenburg L, Kiflezghi MG, Lee MB, Promislow DEL, Dang W, Kaeberlein M, and Labunskyy VM. CAN1 Arginine Permease Deficiency Extends Yeast Replicative Lifespan via Translational Activation of Stress Response Genes. PNAS. 2018. PMC5327506
  • Bennett CF, Kwon JJ, Chen C, Russell J, Acosta K, Burnaevskiy N, Crane MM, Bitto A, Vander Wende H, Simko M, Pineda V, Rossner R, Wasko BM, Choi H, Chen S, Park S, Jafari G, Sands B, Perez Olsen C, Mendenhall AR, Morgan PG, and Kaeberlein M. Transaldolase inhibition impairs mitochondrial respiration and induces a starvation-like longevity response in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet. 2017. PMID: 28355222
  • Beaupere C, Wasko BM, Lorusso J, Kennedy BK, Kaeberlein M, and Labunskyy VM.  CAN1 arginine permease deficiency extends yeast replicative lifespan via translational activation of stress response genes. Cell Rep. 2017. PMID: 28228255
  • Jafari G, Wasko BM, Crofts AR, and Kaeberlein M.  New functional and biophysical insights into the mitochondrial Reiske iron sulfur protein from genetic suppressor analysis in C. elegans. Worm. 2016.
  • Sunshine AB, Ong TG, Nickerson DP, Carr D, Murakami CJ, Wasko BM, Shemorry A, Merz AJ, Kaeberlein M, and Dunham MJ. Restoring membrane protein trafficking rescues the effects of aneuploidy on cellular aging. Aging Cell. 2016. PMID: 26762766.
  • Jafari G, Wasko BM, Tong A, Schurman N, Dong C, Li Z, Peters R, Kayser E, Pitt JN, Morgan PG, Sedensky MM, Crofts AR and Kaeberlein M. Tether mutations that restore function and suppress pleiotropic phenotypes of the C. elegans isp-1(qm150) Rieske iron-sulfur protein.  PNAS. 2015.doi:10.1073/pnas.1509416112. PMID: 26504246.
  • McCormick M, Delaney JR, Tsuchiya M, Tsuchiyama S, Shemorry A, Sim S, Chou AC, Ahmed U, Carr D, Murakami CJ, Schleit J, Sutphin GL, Wasko BM, Bennett CF, Wang AM, Olsen B, Beyer RP, Bammler TK, Prunkard D, Johnson SC, Pennypacker JK, An E, Anies A, Castanza AS, Choi E, Dang N, Enerio S, Fletcher M, Fox L, Goswami S, Higgins SA, Holmberg MA, Hu D, Hui J, Jelic M, Jeong KS, Johnston E, Kerr EO, Kim J, Kim D, Kirkland K, Klum S, Kotireddy S, Liao E, Lim M, Lin MS, Lo WC, Lockshon D, Miller HA, Moller RM, Muller B, Oakes J, Pak DN, Peng ZJ, Pham KM, Pollard TG, Pradeep P, Pruett D, Rai D, Robison B, Rodriguez AA, Ros B, Sage M, Singh MK, Smith ED, Snead K, Solanky A, Spector BL, Steffen KK, Tchao BN, Ting MK, Vander Wende H, Wang D, Welton KL, Westman EA, Brem RB, Liu XG, Suh Y, Zhou Z, Kaeberlein M, Kennedy BK.  A Comprehensive Analysis of Replicative Lifespan in 4,698 Single-Gene Deletion Strains Uncovers Conserved Mechanisms of Aging.  Cell Metab. 2015. Oct 7. pii: S1550-4131(15)00465-9. PMID: 26456335.
  • Kaya A, Ma S, Wasko B, Lee M, Kaeberlein M, and Gladyshev VN. Defining Molecular Basis for the Longevity Traits in Natural Yeast Isolates. Nature Publishing Group NPJ Aging Mech of Dis. 2015. doi:10.1038/npjamd.2015.1. PMID: 27030810.
  • Sen P, Dang W, Donahue G, Dai J, Dorsey J, Cao X, Liu W, Cao K, Perry R, Lee JY, Wasko BM, Carr DT, He C, Robison B, Wagner J, Gregory BD, Kaeberlein M, Kennedy BK, Boeke JD, and Berger SL. H3K36 methylation promotes longevity by enhancing transcriptional fidelity.  Genes Dev.2015 Jul 1;29(13):1362-1376.PMID: 26159996.
  • Cui HJ, Liu XG, McCormick M, Wasko BM, Zhao W, He X, Yuan Y, Fang BX, Sun XR, Kennedy BK, Suh Y, Zhou ZJ, Kaeberlein M, Feng WL.  PMT1 deficiency enhances basal UPR activity and extends replicative lifespan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.  Age (Dordr). 2015, Jun;37(3):9788. PMID: 25936926.
  • Zhao W, Fang BX, Niu YJ, Liu YN, Liu B, Peng Q, Li JB, Wasko BM, Delaney JR, Kennedy BK, Suh Y, Zhou ZJ, Kaeberlein M, Liu XG. Nar1 deficiency results in shortened lifespan and sensitivity to paraquat that is rescued by increased expression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase. Mech Ageing Dev. 2014. PMID: 24486555.
  • Wasko BM, Carr DT, Tung H, Doan H, Schurman N, Neault JR, Feng J, Lee J, Zipkin B, Mouser J, Oudanonh E, Nguyen T, Stetina T, Shemorry A, Lemma M, Kaeberlein M. Buffering the pH of the culture medium does not extend yeast replicative lifespan. F1000Res. 2013, Oct 15;2:216. PMID:24555104.
  • Johnson SC, Yanos ME, Kayser E, Quintana A, Sangesland M, Castanza A, Uhde L, Hui J, Wall JZ, Gagnidze A, Oh K, Wasko BM, Ramos FJ, Palmiter R, Rabinovitch P, Morgan PJ, Sedensky MM, Kaeberlein M. mTOR inhibition by rapamycin alleviates mitochondrial disease in the Ndufs4 -/-  mouse model of leigh syndrome. Science. 2013. Dec 20;342(6165):1524-8.  PMID: 24231806.
  • Wasko, BM and Kaeberlein M.  Yeast replicative aging: A paradigm for defining conserved longevity interventions. FEMS Yeast Res. 2014 Feb;14(1):148-59.  PMID: 24119093.
  • Schleit J, Johnson SC, Bennett CF, Simko M, Trongtham N, Castanza A, Hsieh EJ, Moller RM, Wasko BM, Delaney JR, Sutphin GL, Carr D, Murakami CJ, Tocchi A, Xian B, Chen W, Yu T, Goswami S, Higgins S, Holmberg M, Jeong KS, Kim JR, Klum S, Liao E, Lin MS, Lo W, Miller H, Olsen B, Peng ZJ, Pollard T, Pradeep P, Pruett D, Rai D, Ros V, Singh M, Spector BL, Wende HV, An EH, Fletcher M, Jelic M, Rabinovitch PS, Maccoss MJ, Han JD, Kennedy BK, Kaeberlein M. Molecular mechanisms underlying genotype-dependent responses to dietary restriction. Aging Cell. 2013 Jul 10.  PMID: 23837470.
  • Delaney JR, Chou A, Olsen B, Carr D, Murakami C, Ahmed U, Sim S, An EH, Castanza AS, Fletcher M, Higgins S, Holmberg M, Hui J, Jelic M, Jeong KS, Kim JR, Klum S, Liao E, Lin MS, Lo W, Miller H, Moller R, Peng ZJ, Pollard T, Pradeep P, Pruett D, Rai D, Ros V, Schleit J, Schuster A, Singh M, Spector BL, Sutphin GL, Wang AM, Wasko BM, Vander Wende H, Kennedy BK, Kaeberlein M. End-of-life cell cycle arrest contributes to stochasticity of yeast replicative aging. FEMS Yeast Res. 2013 Jan 21. PMID: 23336757.
  • Delaney JR, Murakami C, Chou A, Carr D, Schleit J, Sutphin GL, An EH, Castanza AS, Fletcher M, Goswami S, Higgins S, Holmberg M, Hui J, Jelic M, Jeong KS, Kim JR, Klum S, Liao E, Lin MS, Lo W, Miller H, Moller R, Peng ZJ, Pollard T, Pradeep P, Pruett D, Rai D, Ros V, Schuster A, Singh M, Spector BL, Wende HV, Wang AM, Wasko BM, Olsen B, Kaeberlein M. Dietary restriction and mitochondrial function link replicative and chronological aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Exp Gerontol. 2012 Dec 9. PMID: 23235143.
  • Tong H, Kuder CH, Wasko BM, and Hohl RJ.  Quantitative Determination of Isopentenyl Diphosphate in Cultured Mammalian Cells.  Anal Biochem. 2012 Sep 18. PMID: 23000003.
  • Murakami C, Delaney JR, Chou A, Carr D, Schleit J, Sutphin GL, An EH, Castanza AS, Fletcher M, Goswami S, Higgins S, Holmberg M, Hui J, Jelic M, Jeong KS, Kim JR, Klum S, Liao E, Lin MS, Lo W, Miller H, Moller R, Peng ZJ, Pollard T, Pradeep P, Pruett D, Rai D, Ros V, Schuster A, Singh M, Spector BL, Vander Wende H, Wang AM, Wasko BM, Olsen B, and Kaeberlein M. pH neutralization protects against reduction in replicative lifespan following chronological aging in yeast. Cell Cycle. 2012 Aug 15;11(16):3087-96. PMID: 22871733.
  • Schleit J, Wasko BM, Kaeberlein M. Yeast as a model to understand the interaction between genotype and the response to calorie restriction.  FEBS Lett. 2012 Aug 31;586(18):2868-73. PMID: 22828279.
  • Wasko BM, Smits JP, Shull LW, Wiemer DF, and Hohl RJ.  A novel squalene synthase inhibitor combined with a statin or nitrogenous bisphosphonate in vitro.  J. Lipid Res. 2011 Nov;52(11):1957-64. PMID: 21903868.
  • Wasko BM*, Dudakovic A*, and Hohl RJ. Bisphosphonates induce autophagy by depleting geranylgeranyl diphosphate.  J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2011 May;337(2):540-6. PMID: 21335425.   
  • Barney RJ, Wasko BM, Dudakovic A, Hohl RJ, and Wiemer DF. Synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of aromatic bisphosphonates. Bioorg Med Chem. 2010 Oct 15;18(20):7212-20. PMID: 20832326.
  • Wasko BM, Holland CL, Resnick MA, and Lewis LK. Inhibition of DNA double-strand break repair by the Ku heterodimer in mrx mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DNA Repair (Amst). 2009 Feb 1;8(2):162-9. PMID: 18992851.
  • Wiemer AJ, Yu JS, Shull LW, Barney RJ, Wasko BM, Lamb KM, Hohl RJ, and Wiemer DF. Pivaloyloxymethyl-modified isoprenoid bisphosphonates display enhanced inhibition of cellular geranylgeranylation. Bioorg Med Chem. 2008 Apr 1;16(7):3652-60. PMID: 18308574. 

Courses (Current Academic Year)

BIOL4341 - Biochemistry I
BIOL/CHEM4242 - Biochemistry Laboratory
BIOL1306 - Biology for Science Majors I
BIOL6838 - Research Project And Seminar
BIOL5931 - Biology of Aging
BIOL/BIOT4389 - Independent Study
BIOL/BIOT5389 - Independent Study

Research Projects

  • Biology of Aging
  • Cellular pH and Metal Homeostasis
  • Basic Molecular and Cellular Biology