Susan Lovett

Abraham S. and Gertrude Burg Professor of Microbiology

Departments/Programs

Biology
Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center

Degrees

University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D.
Cornell University, B.A.

Expertise

Recombination, genetic rearrangements, DNA repair and mutagenesis. Genome evolution. Bacterial cell cycle.

Profile

The research in the Lovett concerns the mechanisms by which the genetic material in cells remains stable over time and is repaired following damage. The lab studies how genes mutate and what pathways in cells act to prevent mutation. These mechanisms are important in the avoidance of cancer and cellular aging. In addition, the lab studies the structure and segregation of chromosomes in bacteria and how this aids survival in the environment, including human hosts. Webpage

Courses Taught

BIOL	132a	General Microbiology
BIOL	316a	Mechanisms of Recombination
BIOL	316b	Mechanisms of Recombination
BIOL	350a	Graduate Student Research Seminar
BIOL	350b	Graduate Student Research Seminar

Awards and Honors

Dean of Arts and Sciences Service Award (2017)

Chair, Division H Molecular Biology and Genetics, American Society for Microbiology (2015 - 2016)

Division Chair-Elect, American Society for Microbiology, Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology (2014 - 2015)

Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2013)

Board of Directors, Genetics Society of America (2008 - 2011)

Davis Fellowship for Experiential Teaching (2006 - 2007)

Fellow, American Society for Microbiology (2006)

American Cancer Society Massachusetts Fellowship (1986 - 1988)

National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Training Grant (1983 - 1985)

Cornell University National Scholar (1973 - 1977)

Scholarship

Klaric, J. A., E. L. Perr, S. T. Lovett.. "Identifying small molecules that promote quasipalindrome-associated template-switch mutations in Escherichia coli." G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics (2020). (forthcoming)

Romero, Z. J., T. Armstrong, S. H. Chen, D. J. Glass, A. E. Ferrazzoli, E. A. Wood, S. Chitteni-Pattu, A. van Oijen, S. T. Lovett, A. Robinson and M. M Cox.. "Frequent template-switching in replication gaps: suppression of deleterious consequences by the Escherichia coli Uup and RadD proteins." Nucleic Acids Research 48. (2020): 212-230.

Wang, J., D. L. Cooper, W. Zhan; D. Wu, H. He, S. Sun, S. T. Lovett and B. Xu. "Diglycine enables rapid intrabacterial hydrolysis for activating antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria.." Angewandte Chemie (2020).

L. T. Laranjo, J. A. Klaric, L. R. Pearlman and S. T Lovett. "Stimulation of replication template-switching by DNA-protein crosslinks.." Genes 10. (2019): 14-30.

Lovett, Susan T.. "Between sisters: watching replication-associated recombinational DNA repair." J. Cell Biol. 217. 7 (2019): 2225-2227.

Laranjo, Laura T., Gross, Stephen J., Zeiger, Danna and Lovett, Susan T.. "SSB recruitment of Exonuclease I aborts template-switching in Escherichia coli.." DNA Repair 57. x (2018): 12-16.

Lovett, Susan. "Template switching in bacteria." DNA Repair 56. x (2018): 118-128.

Cooper, DL and ST Lovett. "Recombinational branch migration by the RadA/Sms paralog of RecA in E. coli." eLife e10807. x (2016): e10807.

Cooper, D., D. Boyle and S. T. Lovett. "Genetic analysis of Escherichia coli RadA: functional motifs and genetic interactions." Molecular Microbiology 95. 5 (2015): 769-779.

L. T. Brown, V. A. Sutera, Jr., S. Zhou, C. S. Weitzel, Y. Cheng and S. T. Lovett. "Connecting replication and repair: the DNA helicase, YoaA, promotes azidothymidine tolerance through association with Chi, an accessory clamp loader protein.." PLoS Genetics e1005651. x (2015): x.

Lovett, Susan. "A glimpse of molecular competition." Nature 491. (2013): 198-200.

R. P. Anand, S. T. Lovett and J. E. Haber. "Break-induced replication." Cold Spring Harbor Perspect. Biol. doi:10.1101/cshprspect.a010397. (2012).

Seier, T., G. Zilberberg, D. M. Zeiger, S. T. Lovett. "Azidothymidine and other chain terminators are mutagenic for template-switch-generated genetic mutations." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 109. (2012): 6171-6174.

Lovett, S. T. . "The DNA exonucleases of Escherichia coli." EcoSal: Escherichia coli and Salmonella: Cellular and Molecular Biology. 3rd Edition, Editors, A. Böck, R. Curtiss III, J. B. Kaper, P. D. Karp, F. C. Neidhardt, T. Nyström, J. M. Slauch, C. L. Squires, and D. Ussery Chapter 4.4.7. (2011): <www.ecosal.org>.

Nichols, R. J., Sen, S., Choo, Y. J., Beltrao, P., Zietek, M., Chaba, R., Lee, S., Kazmierczak, K. M., Lee, K. J., Wong, A., Shales, M., Lovett, S., Winkler, M. E., Krogan, N. J., Typas, A., Gross, C. A.. "Phenotypic landscape of a bacterial cell." Cell 144. 1 (2011): 143-56.

Seier, T. , Padgett, D. R. , Zilberberg, G. , Sutera, V. A., Toha, N. , Lovett, S. T. . "Insights into mutagenesis using Escherichia coli chromosomal lacZ strains that enable detection of a wide spectrum of mutational events." Genetics (2011): in press.

Cooper, Deani L, Lovett, Susan T. "Toxicity and tolerance mechanisms for azidothymidine, a replication gap-promoting agent, in Escherichia coli." DNA Repair (Amst) (2010).

Lovett, ST. "The DNA damage response." Bacterial Stress Responses. 2nd ed. Ed. G. Storz, R. Hengge. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology, 2010. 205-230.

Ferullo, D. J., Cooper, D. L., Moore, H. R., Lovett, S. T.. "Cell cycle synchronization of Escherichia coli using the stringent response, with fluorescence labeling assays for DNA content and replication." Methods (2009).

Handa, N., Morimatsu, K., Lovett, S. T., Kowalczykowski, S. C.. "Reconstitution of initial steps of dsDNA break repair by the RecF pathway of E. coli." Genes Dev 23. 10 (2009): 1234-45.

Merrikh, H., Ferrazzoli, A. E., Bougdour, A., Olivier-Mason, A., Lovett, S. T.. "A DNA damage response in Escherichia coli involving the alternative sigma factor, RpoS." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106. 2 (2009): 611-6.

Merrikh, H., Ferrazzoli, A. E., Lovett, S. T.. "Growth phase and (p)ppGpp control of IraD, a regulator of RpoS stability, in Escherichia coli." J Bacteriol 191. 24 (2009): 7436-46.

Molt, K. L., Sutera, V. A., Jr., Moore, K. K., Lovett, S. T.. "A role for nonessential domain II of initiator protein, DnaA, in replication control." Genetics 183. 1 (2009): 39-49.

Persky, N. S., Ferullo, D. J., Cooper, D. L., Moore, H. R., Lovett, S. T.. "The ObgE/CgtA GTPase influences the stringent response to amino acid starvation in Escherichia coli." Mol Microbiol 73. 2 (2009): 253-66.

Ferullo, D. J., Lovett, S. T.. "The stringent response and cell cycle arrest in Escherichia coli." PLoS Genet 4. 12 (2008): e1000300.

Persky, N. S., Lovett, S. T.. "Mechanisms of recombination: lessons from E. coli." Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 43. 6 (2008): 347-70.

Dutra, B. E., Sutera, V. A. Jr. and Lovett, S. T.. "RecA-independent recombination is efficient but limited by exonucleases." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104. (2007): 216-221.

Foti, J. J., Persky, N. S., Ferullo, D. J., Lovett, S. T.. "Chromosome segregation control by Escherichia coli ObgE GTPase." Mol Microbiol 65. 2 (2007): 569-81.

Lovett, S. T.. "Polymerase Switching in DNA Replication." Mol Cell 27. 4 (2007): 523-526.

Dutra, B. E., Lovett, S. T.. "Cis and trans-acting effects on a mutational hotspot involving a replication template switch." J Mol Biol 356. 2 (2006): 300-11.

Goldfless, S. J., Morag, A. S., Belisle, K. A., Sutera, V. A., Jr., Lovett, S. T.. "DNA Repeat Rearrangements Mediated by DnaK-Dependent Replication Fork Repair." Mol Cell 21. 5 (2006): 595-604.

Han, E. S., Cooper, D. L., Persky, N. S., Sutera, V. A., Jr., Whitaker, R. D., Montello, M. L., Lovett, S. T.. "RecJ exonuclease: substrates, products and interaction with SSB." Nucleic Acids Res 34. 4 (2006): 1084-91.

Lovett, S. T.. "Replication arrest stimulated recombination: dependence on the RecA paralog, RadA/Sms and the translesion polymerase, DinB." DNA Repair 5. (2006): 1421-1427.

Lovett, Susan T.. "Resurrecting a broken genome." Nature 443. (2006): 517-518.

Sutera, V. A. Jr. and S. T. Lovett. "The role of replication initiation control in promoting survival of replication fork damage." Mol. Microbiol. 61. 1 (2006): 229-239.

Foti, J. J., Schienda, J., Sutera, V. A., Jr., Lovett, S. T.. "A bacterial G protein-mediated response to replication arrest." Mol Cell 17. 4 (2005): 549-60.

Lovett, S. T.. "Filling the gaps in replication restart pathways." Mol Cell 17. 6 (2005): 751-2.

Lovett, S. T., Segall, A. M.. "New views of the bacterial chromosome." EMBO Rep 5. 9 (2004): 860-4.

Lovett, S. T.. "Encoded errors: mutations and rearrangements mediated by misalignment at repetitive DNA sequences." Mol Microbiol 52. 5 (2004): 1243-53.

Feschenko, V. V., Rajman, L. A., Lovett, S. T.. "Stabilization of perfect and imperfect tandem repeats by single-strand DNA exonucleases." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 100. 3 (2003): 1134-9.

Lovett, S. T.. "Connecting replication and recombination." Mol Cell 11. 3 (2003): 554-6.

Beam, C. E., Saveson, C. J., Lovett, S. T.. "Role for radA/sms in recombination intermediate processing in Escherichia coli." J Bacteriol 184. 24 (2002): 6836-44.

Lovett, S. T., Hurley, R. L., Sutera, V. A., Jr., Aubuchon, R. H., Lebedeva, M. A.. "Crossing over between regions of limited homology in Escherichia coli. RecA-dependent and RecA-independent pathways." Genetics 160. 3 (2002): 851-9.

Burdett, V., Baitinger, C., Viswanathan, M., Lovett, S. T., Modrich, P.. "In vivo requirement for RecJ, ExoVII, ExoI, and ExoX in methyl-directed mismatch repair." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98. 12 (2001): 6765-70.

Bzymek, M., Lovett, S. T.. "Evidence for two mechanisms of palindrome-stimulated deletion in Escherichia coli: single-strand annealing and replication slipped mispairing." Genetics 158. 2 (2001): 527-40.

Bzymek, M., Lovett, S. T.. "Instability of repetitive DNA sequences: the role of replication in multiple mechanisms." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98. 15 (2001): 8319-25.

Viswanathan, M., Burdett, V., Baitinger, C., Modrich, P., Lovett, S. T.. "Redundant exonuclease involvement in Escherichia coli methyl-directed mismatch repair." J Biol Chem 276. 33 (2001): 31053-8.

Rajman, L. A., Lovett, S. T.. "A thermostable single-strand DNase from Methanococcus jannaschii related to the RecJ recombination and repair exonuclease from Escherichia coli." J Bacteriol 182. 3 (2000): 607-12.

Rajman, L. A., Lovett, S. T.. "A thermostable single-strand DNase from Methanococcus jannaschii related to the RecJ recombination and repair exonuclease from Escherichia coli." Journal Of Bacteriology 182. 3 (2000): 607-612.

Viswanathan, M., Lacirignola, J. J., Hurley, R. L., Lovett, S. T.. "A novel mutational hotspot in a natural quasipalindrome in Escherichia coli." J Mol Biol 302. 3 (2000): 553-64.

Viswanathan, M., Lacirignola, J. J., Hurley, R. L., Lovett, S. T.. "A novel mutational hotspot in a natural quasipalindrome in Escherichia coli." Journal Of Molecular Biology 302. 3 (2000): 553-564.

Bzymek, M., Saveson, C. J., Feschenko, V. V., Lovett, S. T.. "Slipped misalignment mechanisms of deletion formation: in vivo susceptibility to nucleases." J Bacteriol 181. 2 (1999): 477-82.

Morag, A. S., Saveson, C. J., Lovett, S. T.. "Expansion of DNA repeats in Escherichia coli: effects of recombination and replication functions." J Mol Biol 289. 1 (1999): 21-7.

Saveson, C. J., Lovett, S. T.. "Tandem repeat recombination induced by replication fork defects in Escherichia coli requires a novel factor, RadC." Genetics 152. 1 (1999): 5-13.

Sutera, V. A., Jr., Han, E. S., Rajman, L. A., Lovett, S. T.. "Mutational analysis of the RecJ exonuclease of Escherichia coli: identification of phosphoesterase motifs." J Bacteriol 181. 19 (1999): 6098-102.

Viswanathan, M., Lanjuin, A., Lovett, S. T.. "Identification of RNase T as a high-copy suppressor of the UV sensitivity associated with single-strand DNA exonuclease deficiency in Escherichia coli." Genetics 151. 3 (1999): 929-34.

Viswanathan, M., Lovett, S. T.. "Exonuclease X of Escherichia coli. A novel 3'-5' DNase and Dnaq superfamily member involved in DNA repair." J Biol Chem 274. 42 (1999): 30094-100.

Feschenko, V. V., Lovett, S. T.. "Slipped misalignment mechanisms of deletion formation: analysis of deletion endpoints." J Mol Biol 276. 3 (1998): 559-69.

Viswanathan, M., Dower, K. W., Lovett, S. T.. "Identification of a potent DNase activity associated with RNase T of Escherichia coli." J Biol Chem 273. 52 (1998): 35126-31.

Viswanathan, M., Lovett, S. T.. "Single-strand DNA-specific exonucleases in Escherichia coli. Roles in repair and mutation avoidance." Genetics 149. 1 (1998): 7-16.

Haggerty, T. J., Lovett, S. T.. "IF3-mediated suppression of a GUA initiation codon mutation in the recJ gene of Escherichia coli." J Bacteriol 179. 21 (1997): 6705-13.

Saveson, C. J., Lovett, S. T.. "Enhanced deletion formation by aberrant DNA replication in Escherichia coli." Genetics 146. 2 (1997): 457-70.

Lovett, S. T., Feschenko, V. V.. "Stabilization of diverged tandem repeats by mismatch repair: evidence for deletion formation via a misaligned replication intermediate." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 93. 14 (1996): 7120-4.

Corrette-Bennett, S. E., Lovett, S. T.. "Enhancement of RecA strand-transfer activity by the RecJ exonuclease of Escherichia coli." J Biol Chem 270. 12 (1995): 6881-5.

Lovett, S. T., Sutera, V. A., Jr.. "Suppression of recJ exonuclease mutants of Escherichia coli by alterations in DNA helicases II (uvrD) and IV (helD)." Genetics 140. 1 (1995): 27-45.

Dianov, G., Sedgwick, B., Daly, G., Olsson, M., Lovett, S., Lindahl, T.. "Release of 5'-terminal deoxyribose-phosphate residues from incised abasic sites in DNA by the Escherichia coli RecJ protein." Nucleic Acids Res 22. 6 (1994): 993-8.

Lovett, S. T., Gluckman, T. J., Simon, P. J., Sutera, V. A., Jr., Drapkin, P. T.. "Recombination between repeats in Escherichia coli by a recA-independent, proximity-sensitive mechanism." Mol Gen Genet 245. 3 (1994): 294-300.

Lovett, S. T.. "Sequence of the RAD55 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: similarity of RAD55 to prokaryotic RecA and other RecA-like proteins." Gene 142. 1 (1994): 103-6.

Haggerty, T. J., Lovett, S. T.. "Suppression of recJ mutations of Escherichia coli by mutations in translation initiation factor IF3." J Bacteriol 175. 19 (1993): 6118-25.

Lovett, S. T., Drapkin, P. T., Sutera, V. A., Jr., Gluckman-Peskind, T. J.. "A sister-strand exchange mechanism for recA-independent deletion of repeated DNA sequences in Escherichia coli." Genetics 135. 3 (1993): 631-42.