Lawrence J. Shimkets

powered by
COS Expertise®
University of Georgia
College of Arts and Sciences
Microbiology
ProfessorAppointed: 1982

Mailing Address

527 Biological Sciences Building
Athens, Georgia 30602
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (706) 542-2681
Fax: (706) 542-2674
shimkets@uga.edu

Qualifications

Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Microbiology, 1980.

Expertise and Research Interests

My current research interests and areas of expertise include the following: Developmental and social behavior of myxobacteria
Radiation resistance of Kineococcus radiotolerans Population biology and evolutionary biology of prokaryotes Microbial physiology and genetics Molecular mechanisms of cell cell interactions Production and function of biofilms
Sensory transduction
Chemotaxis
Genomics/proteomics

Other Expertise

Bioremediation

Industrial Relevance

Becasue of my experitise in the genetics and physiology of myxobacteria I give seminars at companies interested in antibiotic production, bacterial genomics, and biofilm formation.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Biofilms, Bioremediation, Developmental Biology, Ecosystems, Evolutionary Biology, Gene Expression, Genetics, Genomics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Morphogenesis, Physiology, Population Biology, Proteomics, Regulatory Biology.

Additional Terms:

Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Biofilm, Bioremediation, Cellular Morphogenesis, Developmental Biology, Ecosystem, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Microbial Physiology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Myxobacteria, Population Biology, Proteomics, Radiation Resistance.

Memberships

American Academy of Microbiology
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Society for Microbiology

Honors and Awards

2007, Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2001, Robert G. Eagon Research Award, Southeastern Branch, American Society for Microbiology
1994, Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology
1984-1989, Presidential Young Investigator, President Ronald Reagan, National Science Foundation, prokaryotic developmental biology
1980, Bacaner Research Award, University of Minnesota, graduate research

Previous Positions

1980-1982, Postdoctorate, Stanford University

Funding Received

  • National Science Foundation: Myxococcus xanthus sensory transduction, $500,000, 2008 to 2011.
  • National Science Foundation (NSF): Myxococcus xanthus lipid chemotaxis, $405,000, 2004 to 2007.

Publications

  • Curtis PD, Taylor RG, Welch RD, Shimkets LJ (Dec 2007) Spatial organization of Myxococcus xanthus during fruiting body formation., Journal of bacteriology, 189 (24), 9126-30 Abstract
  • Curtis PD, Atwood J, Orlando R, Shimkets LJ (Nov 2007) Proteins associated with the Myxococcus xanthus extracellular matrix., Journal of bacteriology, 189 (21), 7634-42 Abstract
  • Corby-Harris V, Pontaroli AC, Shimkets LJ, Bennetzen JL, Habel KE, Promislow DE (Jun 2007) Geographical distribution and diversity of bacteria associated with natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster., Applied and environmental microbiology, 73 (11), 3470-9 Abstract
  • Moraleda-Muñoz A, Shimkets LJ (Apr 2007) Lipolytic enzymes in Myxococcus xanthus., Journal of bacteriology, 189 (8), 3072-80 Abstract
  • Goldman B, Bhat S, Shimkets LJ (2007) Genome Evolution and the Emergence of Fruiting Body Development in Myxococcus xanthus., PLoS ONE, 2 (12), e1329 Abstract
  • Avadhani M, Geyer R, White DC, Shimkets LJ (Dec 2006) Lysophosphatidylethanolamine is a substrate for the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase SocA from Myxococcus xanthus., Journal of bacteriology, 188 (24), 8543-50 Abstract
  • Curtis PD, Geyer R, White DC, Shimkets LJ (Nov 2006) Novel lipids in Myxococcus xanthus and their role in chemotaxis., Environmental microbiology, 8 (11), 1935-49 Abstract
  • Bonner PJ, Shimkets LJ (Sep 2006) Phospholipid directed motility of surface-motile bacteria., Molecular microbiology, 61 (5), 1101-9 Abstract
  • Bonner PJ, Black WP, Yang Z, Shimkets LJ (Sep 2006) FibA and PilA act cooperatively during fruiting body formation of Myxococcus xanthus., Molecular microbiology, 61 (5), 1283-93 Abstract
  • Bonner PJ, Shimkets LJ (Jun 2006) Cohesion-defective mutants of Myxococcus xanthus., Journal of bacteriology, 188 (12), 4585-8 Abstract
  • Bonner PJ, Xu Q, Black WP, Li Z, Yang Z, Shimkets LJ (Sep 2005) The Dif chemosensory pathway is directly involved in phosphatidylethanolamine sensory transduction in Myxococcus xanthus, Molecular Microbiology, 57 (5), 1499-508
  • Simunovic V, Gherardini FC, Shimkets LJ, Membrane Localization of Motility, Signaling, and Polyketide Synthetase Proteins in Myxococcus Xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 185(17), 5066-75, Sep 2003
  • Brofft JE, McArthur JV, Shimkets LJ, Recovery of Novel Bacterial Diversity From a Forested Wetland Impacted By Reject Coal, Environmental Microbiology, 4(11), 764-9, Nov 2002
  • Phillips RW, Wiegel J, Berry CJ, Fliermans C, Peacock AD, White DC, Shimkets LJ, Kineococcus Radiotolerans Sp. Nov., a Radiation-resistant, Gram-positive Bacterium, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 52(Pt 3), 933-8, May 2002
  • Phillips RW, Wiegel J, Berry CJ, Fliermans C, Peacock AD, White DC, Shimkets LJ (May 2002) Kineococcus radiotolerans sp. nov., a radiation-resistant, gram-positive bacterium, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 52 (Pt 3), 933-8
  • Lancero H, Brofft JE, Downard J, Birren BW, Nusbaum C, Naylor J, Shi W, Shimkets LJ, Mapping of Myxococcus xanthus social motility dsp mutations to the dif genes, Journal of Bacteriology, 184(5), 1462-5, March 2002
  • Kearns DB, Bonner PJ, Smith DR, Shimkets LJ, An extracellular matrix-associated zinc metalloprotease is required for dilauroyl phosphatidylethanolamine chemotactic excitation in Myxococcus xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 184(6), 1678-84, March 2002
  • Kearns DB, Venot A, Bonner PJ, Stevens B, Boons GJ, Shimkets LJ, Identification of a developmental chemoattractant in Myxococcus xanthus through metabolic engineering, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 98(24), 13990-4, November 2001
  • Bonner PJ, Shimkets LJ, Piecing together a puzzling pathway: new insights into C-signaling, Trends in Microbiology, 9(10), 462-4, October 2001
  • Kearns DB, Shimkets LJ, Lipid chemotaxis and signal transduction in Myxococcus xanthus, Trends in Microbiology, 9(3), 126-9, March 2001
  • Wise MG, McArthur JV, Shimkets LJ, Methylosarcina fibrata gen. nov., sp. nov. and Methylosarcina quisquiliarum sp.nov., novel type 1 methanotrophs, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 51(Pt 2), 611-21, March 2001
  • Kearns DB, Shimkets LJ, Directed movement and surface-borne motility of Myxococcus and Pseudomonas, Methods in Enzymology, 336, 94-102, 2001
  • Kearns DB, Robinson J, Shimkets LJ, Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibits directed twitching motility up phosphatidylethanolamine gradients, Journal of Bacteriology, 183(2), 763-7, Jan 2001
  • Kearns DB, Campbell BD, Shimkets LJ, Myxococcus xanthus fibril appendages are essential for excitation by a phospholipid attractant, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 97(21), 11505-10, October 2000
  • Yang Z, Ma X, Tong L, Kaplan HB, Shimkets LJ, Shi W, Myxococcus xanthus dif genes are required for biogenesis of cell surface fibrils essential for social gliding motility, Journal of Bacteriology, 182(20), 5793-8, October 2000
  • Crawford EW Jr, Shimkets LJ, The Myxococcus xanthus socE and csgA genes are regulated by the stringent response, Molecular Microbiology, 37(4), 788-99, August 2000
  • Crawford EW Jr, Shimkets LJ, The stringent response in Myxococcus xanthus is regulated by SocE and the CsgA C-signaling protein, Genes and Development, 14(4), 483-92, February 2000
  • Wise MG, McArthur JV, Shimkets LJ, Methanotroph diversity in landfill soil: isolation of novel type I and type II methanotrophs whose presence was suggested by culture-independent 16S ribosomal DNA analysis, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65(11), 4887-97, November 1999
  • Shimkets LJ, Intercellular signaling during fruiting-body development of Myxococcus xanthus, Annual Review of Microbiology, 53, 525-49, 1999
  • Wise MG, McArthur JV, Shimkets LJ, Bacterial diversity of a Carolina bay as determined by 16S rRNA gene analysis: confirmation of novel taxa, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 63(4), 1505-14, April 1997
  • Lee K, Shimkets LJ, Suppression of a signaling defect during Myxococcus xanthus development, Journal of Bacteriology, 178(4), 977-84, February 1996
  • Lee BU, Lee K, Mendez J, Shimkets LJ, A tactile sensory system of Myxococcus xanthus involves an extracellular NAD(P)(+)-containing protein, Genes and Development, 9(23), 2964-73, 1995
  • Wise MG, Shimkets LJ, McArthur JV, Genetic structure of a lotic population of Burkolderia (Pseudomonas) cepacia, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 61(5), 1791-8, May 1995
  • Leff LG, Kernan RM, McArthur JV, Shimkets LJ, Identification of aquatic Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) cepacia by hybridization with species-specific rRNA gene probes, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 61(4), 1634-6, April 1995
  • Leff LG, Dana JR, McArthur JV, Shimkets LJ, Comparison of methods of DNA extraction from stream sediments, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 61(3), 1141-3, March 1995
  • He Q, Chen H, Kuspa A, Cheng Y, Kaiser D, Shimkets LJ, A physical map of the Myxococcus xanthus chromosome, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 91(20), 9584-7, September 1994
  • Lee K, Shimkets LJ, Cloning and characterization of the socA locus which restores development to Myxococcus xanthus C-signaling mutants, Journal of Bacteriology, 176(8), 2200-9, April 1994
  • Li SF, Shimkets LJ, Effect of dsp mutations on the cell-to-cell transmission of CsgA in Myxococcus xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 175(11), 3648-52, June 1993
  • Dana JR, Shimkets LJ, Regulation of cohesion-dependent cell interactions in Myxococcus xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 175(11), 3636-47, June 1993
  • Leff LG, Dana JR, McArthur JV, Shimkets LJ, Detection of Tn5-like sequences in kanamycin-resistant stream bacteria and environmental DNA, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 59(2), 417-21, February 1993
  • Li S, Lee BU, Shimkets LJ, csgA expression entrains Myxococcus xanthus development, Genes and Development, 6(3), 401-10, March 1992
  • Rhie HG, Shimkets LJ, Low-temperature induction of Myxococcus xanthus developmental gene expression in wild-type and csgA suppressor cells, Journal of Bacteriology, 173(7), 2206-11, April 1991
  • Chen HW, Kuspa A, Keseler IM, Shimkets LJ, Physical map of the Myxococcus xanthus chromosome, Journal of Bacteriology, 173(6), 2109-15, March 1991
  • Chen, H.-W., A. Kuspa, I.M. Keseler, and, Physical Map of the Myxococcus Xanthus Chromosome, J. Bacteriol., 173, 2109-15, 1991
  • Rhie, H.-G., and L.J. Shimkets, Low-temperature Induction of Myxococcus Xanthus Development Gene Expression in Wild Type and CsgA Suppressor Cells, J. Bacteriol., 173, 2206-11, 1991
  • Shimkets LJ, Social and developmental biology of the myxobacteria, Microbiological Reviews, 54(4), 473-501, December 1990
  • Chen H, Keseler IM, Shimkets LJ, Genome size of Myxococcus xanthus determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, Journal of Bacteriology, 172(8), 4206-13, August 1990
  • Shimkets LJ, The Myxococcus xanthus FprA protein causes increased flavin biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, Journal of Bacteriology, 172(1), 24-30, January 1990
  • Hagen TJ, Shimkets LJ, Nucleotide sequence and transcriptional products of the csg locus of Myxococcus xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 172(1), 15-23, January 1990
  • Shimkets, L.J., and H. Rafiee, CsgA, An Extracellular Protein Essential for Myxococcus Xanthus Developmnet, J. Bacteriol., 172, 5299-306, 1990
  • Chen, H.-W., I.M. Keseler, and L.J. Shim, The Genome Size of Myxococcus Xanthus Determined By Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis, J. Bacteriol., 172, 4206-13, 1990
  • Shimkets LJ, The role of the cell surface in social and adventurous behaviour of myxobacteria, Molecular Microbiology, 3(9), 1295-9, September 1989
  • Rhie HG, Shimkets LJ, Developmental bypass suppression of Myxococcus xanthus csgA mutations, Journal of Bacteriology, 171(6), 3268-76, June 1989
  • Li SF, Shimkets LJ, Site-specific integration and expression of a developmental promoter in Myxococcus xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 170(12), 5552-6, December 1988
  • Arnold JW, Shimkets LJ, Inhibition of cell-cell interactions in Myxococcus xanthus by congo red, Journal of Bacteriology, 170(12), 5765-70, December 1988
  • Arnold JW, Shimkets LJ, Cell surface properties correlated with cohesion in Myxococcus xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 170(12), 5771-7, December 1988
  • Shimkets LJ, Asher SJ, Use of recombination techniques to examine the structure of the csg locus of Myxococcus xanthus, Molecular and General Genetics, 211(1), 63-71, January 1988
  • Shimkets LJ, Control of morphogenesis in myxobacteria, Critical Reviews in Microbiology, 14(3), 195-227, 1987
  • Shimkets LJ, Correlation of energy-dependent cell cohesion with social motility in Myxococcus xanthus, Journal of Bacteriology, 166(3), 837-41, June 1986
  • Shimkets LJ, Role of cell cohesion in Myxococcus xanthus fruiting body formation, Journal of Bacteriology, 166(3), 842-8, June 1986

Profile Details

Last Updated: 3/4/2008

COS Expertise ID #231769
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/shimketd69