Melanie A. Sacco
Professor
Degrees
PhD, University of London
MS, University of Western Ontario
BS, University of Western Ontario
Research Areas
Molecular biology of plant-pathogen interactions
We are interested in protein-protein interactions and signaling in disease resistance using the plant-virus. Our lab engineers molecular constructs of plant immune receptors (Rx and Tm2-2) that recognize Potato virus X and tobamoviruses, respectively, and viral proteins from poleroviruses called P0 that are elicitors of immune receptors in tobacco plants (genus Nicotiana).
Animal endogenous retroviruses
Our lab has studied endogenous retroviruses of chicken and in related species in the smae genus, Gallus. We have recently pursued study of these endogenous viral elements in the phylum Nematoda, with a special interest in nematodes that are parasites of plants.
Courses Regularly Taught
Genetics (BIOL 251)
Scientific Communication Workshop (BIOL 398)
Principles of Gene Manipulation (BIOL 412)
Molecular Virology (BIOL 426)
Plant Molecular Biology (BIOL 448)
Publications
#Wang, K.-D., *Nguyen, T. Q., *Dughbaj, M., *Oza, S. *Valdez, K., *Anda, P., *Nguyen, T. T. V. *Waltz, J., and ¶ Sacco, M. A. (2023) Systematic Mutagenesis of Polerovirus Protein P0 Reveals Distinct and Overlapping Amino Acid Functions in Nicotiana glutinosa. Virology 578,24-34.
¶ Sacco, M. A. , #Lau, J.D., Godinez-Vidal, D., and Kaloshian, I. (2022) Capture of a Mononegavirus Envelope Glycoprotein Gene by a Nematode Endogenous Retroviruses with a Non-Canonical Genome Organization Journal of General Virology 103 ,001739.
¶ Sacco, M. A. and *Crosetti, A. (2020) GGERV20, a Recently Integrated, Segregating Endogenous Retrovirus in Gallus gallus. Journal of General Virology 101, 299-308.
#Wang, K.-D., #Empleo, R., *Nguyen, T. T. V., Moffett, P. and ¶ Sacco, M. A. (2015) Elicitation of Hypersensitive Responses in Nicotiana glutinosa by the Suppressor of RNA Silencing Protein P0 from Poleroviruses. Molecular Plant Pathology 16,435-48.
#Sobhanian, S. and ¶ Sacco, M. A. (2014) Divergent evolution of potato immune receptor CC domain interactions with the Ran GTPase-activating protein 2. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 9,e29772.
¶ Sacco, M. A. and Venugopal K. Nair (2014) Prototype EAV Endogenous Retroviruses of the Gallus Genus. Journal of General Virology 95, 2060–2070.
Sacco, M. A. , Koropacka, K., Grenier, E., Jaubert, M., Blanchard, A. Goverse, A., Smant, G. & Moffett, P. (2009) The Cyst Nematode SPRYSEC Protein RBP-1 Elicits Gpa2- and RanGAP2-Dependent Plant Cell Death PLoS Pathogens 5, e1000564.
Sacco, M. A. , Mansoor, S. & P. Moffett. (2007) A RanGAP protein physically interacts with the NB-LRR protein Rx and is required for Rx-mediated viral resistance. The Plant Journal 52, 82-93.
*CSUF undergaduate student #CSUF graduate student ¶ Corrsponding author
