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- Detailed Information
Mariana Torrente
Associate Professor
Chemistry
Location: 3151N Ingersoll Hall
Phone: 718.951.5000 x2827
Fax: 718.951.4607
Email:
Mariana Torrente's Web site
Mariana Torrente received dual bachelor degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2005 and her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2010 from Princeton University where she comprehensively cataloged chromatin proteins -particularly histones- during biologically significant processes using high-end mass spectrometry proteomics. After her doctoral work, she was a NIH NRSA fellow at the Penn State University College of Medicine as well as a PENN-PORT fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2015, Prof. Torrente won a NINDS Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K22) and established her own research program as an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department at Brooklyn College. She holds a joint appointment with the CUNY Graduate Center. In 2016, Prof. Torrente was a recipient of the Feliks Gross award, the highest distinction for an assistant professor at CUNY.
Education:
PENN-PORT Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine - 2015 (Biochemistry and Biophysics)
NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow, Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine - 2012 (Pharmacology)
Ph.D., Princeton University - 2010 (Chemistry)
B.S., Florida Institute of Technology - 2005 (Chemistry and Biochemistry (Summa Cum Laude))
Areas of Expertise:
Molecular mechanisms underpinning neurodegenerative and psychiatric disease
Books and Publications
Cobos, S.N and Torrente, M.P.^ Epidrugs in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia: Contextualizing a Role for Histone Kinase Inhibition in Neurodegenerative Disease. ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, epub ahead of print ^Corresponding author (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2022
Cobos, S.N., Janani, C.§, Cruz, G.§, Rana, N.§, Son, E.§, Frederic, R.§, Paredes Casado, J.§, Khan, M.§, Bennett, S.A. and Torrente, M.P.^ [PRION+] States Are Associated with Specific Histone H3 Post-Translational Modification Changes. Pathogens 2022, 11, 1436. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121436 §Undergraduate co-author(s) ^Corresponding author (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2022
Bennett, S.A., Cobos, S.N., Mirzakandova, M.,§ Fallah, M.,§ Son, E.,§ Angelakakis, G.,§ Rana, N.,§ Hugais, M., and Torrente, M.P.^ Trichostatin A Relieves Growth Suppression and Restores Histone Acetylation at Specific Sites in a FUS ALS/FTD Yeast Model. Biochemistry. 2021 Nov 17.§Undergraduate co-author(s) ^Corresponding author (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2021
Hugais M.M., Cobos S.N., Bennett S.A., Paredes J.,§ Foran G.,# and Torrente M.P.^ Changes in Histone H3 Acetylation on Lysine 9 Accompany Aβ 1-40 Overexpression in an Alzheimer's Disease Yeast Model. MicroPubl Biol. 2021 Nov 2;2021§Undergraduate co-author(s) #High School co-author(s) ^Corresponding author (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2021
Zhu, G., D.S. Harischandra, S. Ghaisas, P. Zhang, W. Prall, L. Huang, C. Maghames, L. Guo, E. Luna, K.L. Mack, M.P. Torrente, K.C. Luk, J. Shorter, and X. Yang. (2020). TRIM11 prevents and reverses protein aggregation and rescues a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Cell Rep. 33(9):108418. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2020
Bennett, S.A., Cobos, S.N., Meykler, M.§, Fallah, M.§, Rana, N.§, Chen, K. and Torrente, M.P.^, Characterizing Histone Post-Translational Modification Alterations In Yeast Neurodegenerative Proteinopathy Models. R Journal of Visualized Experiments, (145), e59104, (2019) §Undergraduate co-author(s) ^Corresponding author (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2019
Bennett SA, Tanaz R, Cobos SN, Torrente MP^.Epigenetics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a role for histone post-translational modifications in neurodegenerative disease. Transl Res. pii: S1931-5244(18)30185-3. doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2018.10.002.^ Corresponding author (2018) (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2018
Chen, K., Bennett, S., Rana, N. §, Yosuf, H. §, Said M. §, Taaseen, S. §, Meltser, S. §, Mendo, N.§ and Torrente, M.P.^, Distinct Histone Post-Translational Modifications Are Connected To Neurodegenerative Disease Proteinopathies. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 9(4):838-848. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00297. §Undergraduate co-author(s) ^Corresponding author (2018) (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2018
Cobos SN, Bennett SA, Torrente MP^. The impact of histone post-translational modifications in neurodegenerative diseases. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. pii: S0925-4439(18)30396-X. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.10.019. ^Corresponding author (2018) (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2018
Tariq, A., J. Lin, M.M. Noll, M.P. Torrente, K.L. Mack, O. Hernandez Murillo, M.E. Jackrel, and J. Shorter. Potentiating Hsp104 activity via phosphomimetic mutations in the middle domain. FEMS Yeast Res. doi: 10.1093/femsyr/foy042. (2018). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2018
Gates, S.N., Yokom, A.L., Lin, J. Jackrel, M.E., Rizo, A.N., Kendsersky, N.M., Buell, C.E.,Sweeny, E.A., Chuang, E., Torrente, M.P., Mack, K.L., Su, M., Shorter,J. and Southworth, D.R. Ratchet-like polypeptide translocation mechanism of the Hsp104 disaggregase. Science, 357, pp. 273-279 (2017) (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2017
Torrente, M.P., Chuang, E., Noll, M.M. §, Jackrel, M.E., Go, M.S., and Shorter, J. Mechanistic Insights Into Hsp104 Potentiation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291(10):5101-5115 (2016) (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2016
Torrente, M.P., L.M. Castellano, and J. Shorter. Suramin inhibits Hsp104 ATPase and disaggregase activity. PLoS ONE. 9(10): e110115. (2014). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2014
Ouedraogo, Y.P., Huang, L., Torrente, M.P., Proni, G., Chadwick, E., Wehmschulte, R.J., and Nesnas, N. A direct stereoselective preparation of a fish pheromone and application of the zinc porphyrin tweezer chiroptical protocol in its stereochemical assignment. Chirality. 25(9):575-81. (2013). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2013
Torrente, M.P., and J. Shorter. The metazoan protein disaggregase and amyloid depolymerase system: Hsp110, Hsp70, Hsp40, and small heat shock proteins. Prion. 7(6): 457-463. (2013). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2013
Baliban, R.C., Dimaggio, P.A., Plazas-Mayorca, M.D., Garcia, B.A., Floudas, C.A. PILOT_PROTEIN: identification of unmodified and modified proteins via high-resolution mass spectrometry and mixed-integer linear optimization. J Proteome Res. 11(9), 4615-29. (2012). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
Torrente, M.P, Freeman, W.M., and Vrana, K.V. Protein Biomarkers of Alcohol Abuse. Expert Reviews in Proteomics, 9(4), 425-36. (2012). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
Torrente, M.P, Gelenberg, A.J., and Vrana, K.V. Boosting serotonin in the brain: is it time to revamp the treatment of depression? J Psychopharmacol. 26(5), 629-35. (2012). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2012
Plazas-Mayorca, M.D. and Vrana, K.E. Proteomic investigation of epigenetics in neuropsychiatric disorders: A missing link between genetics and behavior? Journal of Proteome Research, 10 (1), 58?65. (2011). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
Torrente, M.P., Zee, B.M.; Young, N.L.; Baliban, R.C; Leroy, G.; Floudas, C.A.; Hake, S.B.; Garcia B.A., Proteomic Interrogation of Human Chromatin. PLoS One, 6, (9), e24747. (2011). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2011
Baliban, R. C.; DiMaggio, P. A.; Plazas-Mayorca, M.D.; Young, N. L.; Garcia, B. A.; Floudas, C. A., A novel approach for untargeted post-translational modification identification using integer linear optimization and tandem mass spectrometry. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 9, (5), 764-79. (2010). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Plazas-Mayorca, M.D., Bloom, J.S., Zeissler, U., LeRoy, G., Young, N.L., DiMaggio, P.A., Krugylak, L., Schneider, R. and Garcia, B.A. Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Direct and Indirect Alterations in the Histone Code Following Methyltransferase Knockdown. Molecular BioSystems, (6), 1719-1729. (2010). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Young, N.L.*; Plazas-Mayorca, M.D.*; Flaniken, I.Z.; DiMaggio, P. A.; Beltran, A.; Mishra, N.; LeRoy, G.; Floudas, C. A.; Garcia, B.A., Collective mass spectrometry approaches reveal broad and combinatorial modification of high mobility group protein A1a.. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 21, (6), 960-70 (2010). *These authors contributed equally to this work. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Young, N.L.; Plazas-Mayorca, M.D.; Garcia, B.A. Systems-wide proteomic characterization of combinatorial post-translational modification patterns. Expert Reviews in Proteomics, 7, (1), 79. (2010). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
Leroy, G.; Weston, J. T.; Zee, B. M.; Young, N. L.; Plazas-Mayorca, M. D.; Garcia, B. A., Heterochromatin protein 1 is extensively decorated with histone code-like post-translational modifications. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 8, (11), 2432-42. (2009). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2009
Plazas-Mayorca, M.D.; Zee, B.M.; Young, N.L.; Fingerman, I.M.; LeRoy, G.; Briggs, S.D.; Garcia B.A., One-pot shotgun quantitative mass spectrometry characterization of histones. Journal of Proteome Research, 8, (11), 5367-74. (2009). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2009
Young, N. L.; DiMaggio, P. A.; Plazas-Mayorca, M. D.; Baliban, R. C.; Floudas, C. A.; Garcia, B. A., High-throughput characterization of combinatorial histone codes. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 8, (10), 2266-84. (2009). (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2009
Awards, Honors and Fellowships
Jacque Edward Levy Professorship in Analytical Chemistry (Awards and Honors) 2022
NIH NINDS AREA R15: New Targets in C9orf72 FTD: Exploring Histone H3 S10 Phosphorylation (Grants and Fellowships) 2022
Tow Research and Creativity Grant, Brooklyn College (Awards and Honors) 2022
ASCB Accomplishing Career Transitions (ACT) Program (Awards and Honors) 2021
PSC CUNY Enhanced: Delineating the Role of H3S10ph in ALS (Grants and Fellowships) 2021
ASRC-SEED:Prions Meet Phase Separation: Rnq1/[PIN+] (Grants and Fellowships) 2019
George and Beatrice Schwartzman Professorship in Chemistry (Awards and Honors) 2019
Outstanding Undergraduate Deputy, Brooklyn College (Awards and Honors) 2019
PSC-CUNY Traditional B: Discovery Of Molecular Mechanisms For Prion Function In Yeast (Grants and Fellowships) 2019
Travel Award, American Society for Cell Biology Minority Affairs Committee (Awards and Honors) 2019
Travel Award, American Society for Cell Biology Minority Affairs Committee (Awards and Honors) 2018
ASBMB IMAGE Grant Writing Workshop (Awards and Honors) 2017
Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) & Related Motor Neuron Diseases Gordon Research Conference (Awards and Honors) 2017
NIH Future Research Leader (Awards and Honors) 2017
NRMN Proposal Preparation Program P3, University of Minnesota (Awards and Honors) 2017
Travel Award, American Society for Cell Biology Minority Affairs Committee (Awards and Honors) 2017
Feliks Gross Award, CUNY Academy (Awards and Honors) 2016
ASRC-SEED: Epigenetics In Neurodegenerative Disease: Targeting Histone Modifications In Parkinson's Disease (Grants and Fellowships) 2015
NINDS Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research: Epigenetics In Neurodegenerative Disease: Targeting Histone Modifications in ALS (Grants and Fellowships) 2015
PSC-CUNY Enhanced: Does Protein Misfolding Cause Depression? Studies on Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 (Grants and Fellowships) 2015
Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
American Chemical Society Spring 2022 Meeting (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2022
American Society for Cell Biology Roundtable Presentation: Challenges and Opportunities in Maintaining Research Momentum at a PUI (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2022
2021 Doorstep Meeting: The Cell Biology of Neurodegeneration, Cell Bio Virtual 2021, the joint meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) and European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2021
American Chemical Society Chem Bio Connections 2021 Seminar Series (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2021
