Linda Matsuuchi

Professor
  • Office phone
    604-822-4881 (research)
  • Lab phone
    604-827-3998
  • Research area
    Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Lab Website
    http://www.celldevelopment.ubc.ca
  • History

    A.B., Barnard College; M.A., M.Phil, Ph.D. Columbia University (New York City); Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Berkeley (1981-1985); Assistant Research Biochemist, University of California San Francisco (1985-1991); UBC since 1992; Member of the Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology; Associate Director of the Life Sciences Institute (2008-2013)

My lab is interested in understanding the cell signaling of specific membrane receptors, combining aspects of Cell Biology, Immunology , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.Structure and function of the antigen receptor on B lymphocytes: The B cell receptor is composed of membrane immunoglobulin M (mIgM) and a heterodimer of two associated proteins, Ig-alpha and Ig- beta. When the receptor is on the cell surface of B lymphocytes it functions to transmit intracellular signals that regulate cell growth and differentiation and it binds to antigen for the generation of the immune response. We are studying the downstream consequences of intracellular signaling and how the BCR interacts with protein tyrosine kinases, phosphatases and other associated proteins. In addition we are exploring how signaling changes the cytoskeletal architecture in B lymphocytes. Recently my lab has embarked on a study of the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43), whose expression profoundly influences lymphocyte responses to BCR and chemokine receptor signalling, in particular regulating rearrangements in the actin cytoskeleton.

Lab members:

Farnaz Pournia (PhD student), May Dang Lawson (Lab Manager), Kate Choi (Tech 3)-both joint with M. Gold,

Past Lab members (Graduate students, Postdocs and Staff): Dr. Marcia McCoy Graves (joint with M.Gold and C. Roskelley), Victor Mo, Letitia Falk Biagi, Steve Machtaler, Caren Jang Grande, Janis Dylke, Teresa Jackson, Lorna Santos, Colm Condon, Sharon Hourihane, Lori Joyce, Jessica Escribano, Shaun Foy

Past Lab members (Independent study students and Work Learn students): Connor Keane, Michael Hall, Henry Lu, Matthew Lowe, Caroline Chu, Kate Choi, Gabe Woolam, Colm Condon, Tally Vertinsky, Cathy Brown, Karen Chua (Ung), Corey Ming-Lum, Aneez Mohammed, Katherine Tung, Shaun Foy

CSI Investigator Award

2007
/
For Research
Linda Matsuuchi

Faculty of Science Achievement Award

2007
/
For Service
Linda Matsuuchi
Pournia, F., Dang-Lawson, M., Choi, K., Mo, V., Lampe, P.D., and Matsuuchi, L. (Jan 2020). Identification of serine residues in the Connexin43 carboxyl tail important for BCR-mediated spreading of B-Lymphocytes. J. Cell Sci 2020, doi: 10.1242 /jcs237925
Oberg, G., Campbell, A., Fox, J., Graves, M., Ivanochoko, T., Matsuuchi, L., Mouat, Isobel, and Ashley Welsh. October 2021. Teaching Science as a Process and not a set of facts. Science & Education
Hong-Dien Phan*, Delania J.B. Gormley*, Reilly H. Smith*, May Dang-Lawson‡,†, Linda Matsuuchi‡, Michael R. Gold†, and Sherri L. Christian* (2021) CD24 and IgM stimulation of B cells triggers transfer of functional CD24 and B cell receptor to B cell reci
Mutations of Cx43 that affect B cell spreading in response to BCR signalling
Biology Open 3: 185-194
Falk, L., M. Dang-Lawson, J.L. Vega, F. Pournia, K. Choi, C. Jang, C.C. Naus, L. Matsuuchi
2014
The role of the gap junction protein connexin43 in B lymphocyte motility and migration
FEBS Letters 588: 1249-1258
Machtaler, S., K. Choi, M. Dang-Lawson, L. Falk, F. Pournia, C.C. Naus, L. Matsuuchi
2014
Gap junction proteins on the move: Connexins, the cytoskeleton and migration
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1828: 94-108
Matsuuchi, L. and C.C. Naus
2013
The Gap junction protein Connexin43 regulates B-lymphocyte spreading and adhesion
Journal of Cell Science 124: 2611-2621
Machtaler, S., Dang-Lawson, M., Choi, K., Jang, C., Naus, C.C. and L. Matsuuchi
2011
The role of Ig-α and Ig-β in B cell antigen receptor internalization
Immunology Letters 134: 75-82
Jang, C., Machtaler, S. and L. Matsuuchi
2010
Engineered cell surface expression of membrane immunoglobulin as a means to identify monoclonal antibody-secreting hybridomas
J. Immunol. Methods 343: 28-41
Price, PW, McKinney, EC, Wang, Y, Sasser, LE, Kandasamy, MK, Matsuuchi, L, Milcarek, C, Deal, Meagher, RB
2009
Role of the extracellular and transmembrane domains of Ig-α/β in assembly of the B cell antigen receptor
Immunology Letters 112: 47 – 57
Dylke, J., Lopes, J., Dang-Lawson, M., Machtaler, S. and Matsuuchi, L
2007
Localization of the Ig α/β component of the BCR in membrane microdomains in a B lymphoma variant
Immunology Letters 99: 69-79
Jackson, T.L., Santos, L., Dang-Lawson, M. and Matsuuchi, L
2005
Selection of B lymphocytes in the periphery is determined by the functional capacity of the B cell antigen receptor
PNAS 101: 1027-1032
Wang, L.D., Lopes, J., Cooper, A.B., Dang-Lawson, M., Matsuuchi, L. and M.R. Clark
2004
Association of chains of the B cell antigen receptor with multiple proteinchaperones
Immunology Letters. 78: 149-160
Foy, S.P. and Matsuuchi, L
2001