	Misha Matz Assistant Professor, Section of Integrative Biology
Lab Web Page	Education \| Research Interests \| Publications
E-mail: matz@mail.utexas.edu Office: PAT 432, (512) 471-6731 Lab: Fax: (512) 471-3878	Education B.S., Moscow State University, 1989 M.S., Moscow State University, 1991 Ph.D., Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 1999 Research Interests Currently, the main focus of research in my lab is the family of multi-colored fluorescent proteins homologous to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from jellyfish Aequorea victoria. I've been pursuing these studies since 1999, when we first described the diversity of colors and properties that GFP-like proteins attain in reef Anthozoa (Matz et al, Nat Biotechnol 1999). GFP-like proteins are the only known natural pigments encoded by a single gene, which makes them an excellent model for studies in molecular ecology and evolution of natural coloration. With the help of this model we hope to understand the origins of coral reef colorfulness. GFP-like proteins are also very useful for basic studies in evolution of diversity and complexity in protein families. Last but not least, GFP-like proteins can serve as genetically encoded fluorescent markers for biotechnology applications. I am also interested in the molecular basis and biological functions of fluorescence of organisms other than corals. In particular, we are currently looking at fluorescence in the deep sea with the help of Ocean Exploration program of NOAA ("Operation Deep Scope 2004-2005"). In addition, capitalizing on our accumulated expertise in gene discovery and coral work, we recently initiated a project on functional genomics of coral stress. Publications Field, S. F., Bulina, M. Y., Kelmanson, I. V., Bielawski J. P. and Matz, M. V. Adaptive evolution of multicolored fluorescent proteins in reef-building corals. J. Mol. Evol., in press. Nielsen, R. and Matz, M. V. Statistical approaches for DNA barcoding. Syst. Biol., in press. Matz, M. V. and Nielsen, R. Likelihood ratio test for species membership based on DNA sequence data. Phylos Trans Roy. Soc. B, 360, in press. Chang, B. S. W., Ugalde, J. A. and Matz, M.V. Application of ancestral protein reconstruction in understanding protein function: GFP-like proteins. Meth Enzymol. 2005, 395: 652-670. Ugalde, J. A., Chang, B. S. W. and Matz, M. V. Evolution of coral pigments recreated. Science 2004,305: 1433. Shagin, D. A., Barsova, E. V., Yanushevich, Y. G., Fradkov, A. F., Lukyanov, K. A., Labas, Y. A., Ugalde, J. A., Meyers, A., Nunez, J. M., Widder, E. A., Lukyanov, S. A., Matz, M. V. GFP-like proteins as ubiquitous Metazoan superfamily: evolution of functional features and structural complexity. Mol Biol Evol.,2004, 21: 841-850. Matz, M. V., Labas, Y. A. and Ugalde, J. Evolution of function and color in GFP-like proteins. In: Green Fluorescent Protein: Properties, Applications and Protocols, 2nd Ed. (M. Chalfie and S.R.Kain eds.), Wiley. Matz, M. V. and Meleshkevith, E. A. Ordered Differential Display. In: Differential Display Methods and Protocols 2nd ed. (J. Meade, P Liang and A. B. Pardee Eds) 2nd ed. Humana press, Totowa, NJ, in press. Zhulidov PA, Bogdanova EA, Shcheglov AS, Vagner LL, Khaspekov GL, Kozhemyako VB, Matz MV, Meleshkevitch E, Moroz LL, Lukyanov SA, Shagin DA. Simple cDNA normalization using kamchatka crab duplex-specific nuclease. Nucleic Acids Res. 2004, 32: e37. Kelmanson, I. K. and Matz, M. V. Molecular basis and evolutionary origins of color diversity in great star coral Montastraea cavernosa (Scleractinia, Faviida). Mol Biol Evol 2003, 20: 1125-1133.

Misha Matz

Assistant Professor, Section of Integrative Biology

Education | Research Interests | Publications

E-mail:
matz@mail.utexas.edu
Office:
PAT 432,
(512) 471-6731
Lab:

Fax:
(512) 471-3878

Education

B.S., Moscow State University, 1989
M.S., Moscow State University, 1991
Ph.D., Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 1999

Research Interests

Currently, the main focus of research in my lab is the family of multi-colored fluorescent proteins homologous to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from jellyfish Aequorea victoria. I've been pursuing these studies since 1999, when we first described the diversity of colors and properties that GFP-like proteins attain in reef Anthozoa (Matz et al, Nat Biotechnol 1999). GFP-like proteins are the only known natural pigments encoded by a single gene, which makes them an excellent model for studies in molecular ecology and evolution of natural coloration. With the help of this model we hope to understand the origins of coral reef colorfulness. GFP-like proteins are also very useful for basic studies in evolution of diversity and complexity in protein families. Last but not least, GFP-like proteins can serve as genetically encoded fluorescent markers for biotechnology applications.

I am also interested in the molecular basis and biological functions of fluorescence of organisms other than corals. In particular, we are currently looking at fluorescence in the deep sea with the help of Ocean Exploration program of NOAA ("Operation Deep Scope 2004-2005"). In addition, capitalizing on our accumulated expertise in gene discovery and coral work, we recently initiated a project on functional genomics of coral stress.

Publications

Field, S. F., Bulina, M. Y., Kelmanson, I. V., Bielawski J. P. and Matz, M. V. Adaptive evolution of multicolored fluorescent proteins in reef-building corals. J. Mol. Evol., in press.
Nielsen, R. and Matz, M. V. Statistical approaches for DNA barcoding. Syst. Biol., in press.
Matz, M. V. and Nielsen, R. Likelihood ratio test for species membership based on DNA sequence data. Phylos Trans Roy. Soc. B, 360, in press.
Chang, B. S. W., Ugalde, J. A. and Matz, M.V. Application of ancestral protein reconstruction in understanding protein function: GFP-like proteins. Meth Enzymol. 2005, 395: 652-670.
Ugalde, J. A., Chang, B. S. W. and Matz, M. V. Evolution of coral pigments recreated. Science 2004,305: 1433.
Shagin, D. A., Barsova, E. V., Yanushevich, Y. G., Fradkov, A. F., Lukyanov, K. A., Labas, Y. A., Ugalde, J. A., Meyers, A., Nunez, J. M., Widder, E. A., Lukyanov, S. A., Matz, M. V. GFP-like proteins as ubiquitous Metazoan superfamily: evolution of functional features and structural complexity. Mol Biol Evol.,2004, 21: 841-850.
Matz, M. V., Labas, Y. A. and Ugalde, J. Evolution of function and color in GFP-like proteins. In: Green Fluorescent Protein: Properties, Applications and Protocols, 2nd Ed. (M. Chalfie and S.R.Kain eds.), Wiley.
Matz, M. V. and Meleshkevith, E. A. Ordered Differential Display. In: Differential Display Methods and Protocols 2nd ed. (J. Meade, P Liang and A. B. Pardee Eds) 2nd ed. Humana press, Totowa, NJ, in press.
Zhulidov PA, Bogdanova EA, Shcheglov AS, Vagner LL, Khaspekov GL, Kozhemyako VB, Matz MV, Meleshkevitch E, Moroz LL, Lukyanov SA, Shagin DA. Simple cDNA normalization using kamchatka crab duplex-specific nuclease. Nucleic Acids Res. 2004, 32: e37.
Kelmanson, I. K. and Matz, M. V. Molecular basis and evolutionary origins of color diversity in great star coral Montastraea cavernosa (Scleractinia, Faviida). Mol Biol Evol 2003, 20: 1125-1133.