Vince Stepanik

I am fascinated by the flow of information in biological systems, from how proteins are encoded, to how genetic states are inherited and modified. As an undergrad I studied how the UGA “STOP” codon is re-coded as selenocysteine (the 21st amino acid), and in my thesis work investigated how Polycomb Group proteins establish and maintain heritable gene expression states (via histone methylation in particular). In the Stathopoulos lab, I’ve continued this trend to study how messages are transmitted and interpreted as development unfolds by studying how the ligands Pyramus and Thisbe (Pyr and Ths) signal through the FGF receptor Heartless (Htl) to support a wide variety of cellular activities. These include determination, differentiation, adhesion, and migration. Although only these two ligands activate Htl, a variety of outputs is possible from this system due to factors that modulate the signaling potential of the ligands and receptor. The factors I have focused on are the unique structural domains of Pyr and Ths that affect their stability, spatiotemporal and subcellular localization, and their interactions with Htl. While some of these domains are unique to Pyr or Ths among the FGF family of proteins, we are also applying our findings to further illuminate functions that could be more broadly conserved in the entire FGF protein family in order to understand ligand-receptor specificity and signal diversification. When I’m not pipetting or pushing flies, I’m mostly focused on signal pathways in the audible realm (listening to and playing music), and tinkering with projects like woodworking. I hope to someday surpass my personal best of finding 76 cents and 4 bottle caps with a metal detector, but in the meantime gladly settle for weird rocks, yard sale finds, and delightfully “awful” movies with a heart.