Sue Jinks-Robertson

About

Sue Jinks-Robertson is the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emerita of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University. Her research focuses on the regulation of genetic stability, primarily using budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a model genetic system. Her primary research goals include defining molecular structures and mechanisms of mitotic recombination intermediates and understanding how and why transcription destabilizes the underlying DNA template. Additionally, she has initiated studies of mutagenesis in the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, where she has found that a shift to human body temperature mobilizes transposable elements, suggesting this promotes rapid adaptation to the harsh host environment.

Research topics

• Biology
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Computational biology

Selected publications

• Transposon mobilization in the human fungal pathogen <i>Cryptococcus</i> is mutagenic during infection and promotes drug resistance in vitro

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2020 · 71 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  is an important mechanism that enhances microbial adaptation and promotes pathogenesis and drug resistance in the human host.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Genome-wide analysis of heat stress-stimulated transposon mobility in the human fungal pathogen <i>Cryptococcus deneoformans</i>

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2023 · 55 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  isolates recovered from infected mice, providing evidence that mobile elements are likely to facilitate microevolution and rapid adaptation during infection.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Recurrent mutations in topoisomerase IIα cause a previously undescribed mutator phenotype in human cancers

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2022-01-20 · 51 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Significance Topoisomerases are crucial for genome maintenance and are targets for several chemotherapeutic agents. While anticancer drugs targeting topoisomerases can lead to secondary malignancies, there have been no descriptions of genetic defects in topoisomerases having roles in cancer development. Here we show that a somatic topoisomerase IIα mutation found in human tumors results in a mutator phenotype. We show that this mutation and the concomitant mutational signature, which we call ID_…

  PublisherDOI

• Characterization of long G4-rich enhancer-associated genomic regions engaging in a novel loop:loop ‘G4 Kissing’ interaction

  Nucleic Acids Research · 2020-04-27 · 47 citations

  articleOpen access

  Mammalian antibody switch regions (∼1500 bp) are composed of a series of closely neighboring G4-capable sequences. Whereas numerous structural and genome-wide analyses of roles for minimal G4s in transcriptional regulation have been reported, Long G4-capable regions (LG4s)-like those at antibody switch regions-remain virtually unexplored. Using a novel computational approach we have identified 301 LG4s in the human genome and find LG4s prone to mutation and significantly associated with chromoso…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Mitotic Recombination and Adaptive Genomic Changes in Human Pathogenic Fungi

  Genes · 2019-11-07 · 45 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Genome rearrangements and ploidy alterations are important for adaptive change in the pathogenic fungal species Candida and Cryptococcus, which propagate primarily through clonal, asexual reproduction. These changes can occur during mitotic growth and lead to enhanced virulence, drug resistance, and persistence in chronic infections. Examples of microevolution during the course of infection were described in both human infections and mouse models. Recent discoveries defining the role of sexual,…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01GM038464

  NIH · $5.3M · 2016

• NIH Grant R29GM038464

  NIH · $479k · 1992

• NIH Grant R01GM101690

  NIH · $1.3M · 2016

Frequent coauthors

• Nayun Kim

  76 shared

• Jang-Eun Cho

  31 shared

• Serge Boiteux

  Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire

  31 shared

• Samantha Shaltz

  Duke University Hospital

  29 shared

• Thomas D. Petes

  Duke University

  28 shared

• Rebecca L. Swanson

  Emory University

  27 shared

• Paul W. Doetsch

  27 shared

• Brenda K. Minesinger

  26 shared

Awards & honors

• James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emerita

Similar researchers at Duke University

• Douglas Alan Marchukh-110
• Jack Donald Keeneh-100
• Hiroaki Matsunamih-86