Tania A. Baker

Tania A. Baker

E. C. Whitehead Professor of Biology; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Tania Baker’s current research explores mechanisms and regulation of enzyme-catalyzed protein unfolding, ATP-dependent protein degradation, and remodeling of the proteome during cellular stress responses.

617-253-3594

Phone

68-523

Office

tabaker@mit.edu

Email

Building 68 - Koch Biology Building

Location

Lab Website
Tori Yetman

Assistant

617-324-7833

Assistant Phone

Education

  • PhD, 1988, Stanford University
  • BS, 1983, Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Research Summary

Our goal is to understand the mechanisms and regulation behind AAA+ unfoldases and macromolecular machines from the "Clp/Hsp100 family" of protein unfolding enzymes. We study these biological catalysts using biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biology, genetics, and single molecule biophysics. No longer accepting students.

Awards

  • Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow, 2008-2018
  • National Academy of Sciences, Member, 2007
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow, 2005
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HHMI Investigator, 1994

Key Publications

  1. Structural Basis of an N-Degron Adaptor with More Stringent Specificity. Stein, BJ, Grant, RA, Sauer, RT, Baker, TA. 2016. Structure 24, 232-42.
    doi: 10.1016/j.str.2015.12.008PMID:26805523
  2. Mitochondrial ClpX Activates a Key Enzyme for Heme Biosynthesis and Erythropoiesis. Kardon, JR, Yien, YY, Huston, NC, Branco, DS, Hildick-Smith, GJ, Rhee, KY, Paw, BH, Baker, TA. 2015. Cell 161, 858-67.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.04.017PMID:25957689
  3. Mechanochemical basis of protein degradation by a double-ring AAA+ machine. Olivares, AO, Nager, AR, Iosefson, O, Sauer, RT, Baker, TA. 2014. Nat Struct Mol Biol 21, 871-5.
    doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2885PMID:25195048
  4. Single-molecule protein unfolding and translocation by an ATP-fueled proteolytic machine. Aubin-Tam, ME, Olivares, AO, Sauer, RT, Baker, TA, Lang, MJ. 2011. Cell 145, 257-67.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.03.036PMID:21496645
  5. The molecular basis of N-end rule recognition. Wang, KH, Roman-Hernandez, G, Grant, RA, Sauer, RT, Baker, TA. 2008. Mol Cell 32, 406-14.
    doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2008.08.032PMID:18995838
  6. Proteomic discovery of cellular substrates of the ClpXP protease reveals five classes of ClpX-recognition signals. Flynn, JM, Neher, SB, Kim, YI, Sauer, RT, Baker, TA. 2003. Mol Cell 11, 671-83.
    doi: 10.1016/s1097-2765(03)00060-1PMID:12667450
  7. A specificity-enhancing factor for the ClpXP degradation machine. Levchenko, I, Seidel, M, Sauer, RT, Baker, TA. 2000. Science 289, 2354-6.
    doi: 10.1126/science.289.5488.2354PMID:11009422

Recent Publications

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