Matthew Cato
Senior Research Associate/Lab Manager

mcato@sanfordburnham.org

Plasma Cell Formation, Isotype Switching, and IL-4 Responses

My work focuses on elucidating the role of CD19 in plasma cell formation utilizing in vitro culture systems of purified splenic B cells from CD19-/- mice.  Through detailed evaluation including flow cytometric analysis, ELISA, ELISPOT, qRT PCR, viral transduction systems and biochemical techniques a role for CD19 in coordinating phenotypic changes associated with plasma cell differentiation formation  was determined.  Related work on Blimp-1, the “master regulator” of plasma cell formation suggests a role for Blimp the development or maintenance of B-1 cells.

Additional projects and collaborations:
Role of PI3K and CD19 in T cell dependent B cell immune responses including plasma cell differentiation and isotype class switch recombination in the germinal center; including regulation of PI3K by the lipid phosphatases PTEN and SHIP as well as control of the downstream transcriptional regulators (such as BLIMP-1) involved in these processes. In collaboration with Sidne Omori, PhD

Role of Cyclin D2 and Cyclin D3 in T cell dependent B cell immune responses.  In collaboration with Suresh Chintalapati, PhD

Ephrin receptor signaling and the role of Ephrin family receptors, ligands and substrates (such as SHEP-1) on B cell homing and adhesion related to proper B cell development and the immune response. In collaboration with Cecille Browne and Elena Pasquale, PhD

Other collaborations at The Sanford-Burnham Institute:
Specific in vivo targeting of small walled carbon nanotubes and other nano-materials to specific cells types. In collaboration with Massimo Bottini, PhD and Thomas Mustelin, MD

Determination of the function of the ubiquitin ligase Rnf5a in lymphocyte activation, the normal immune response, and autoimmunity. In collaboration with Agnes Delaunay-Moisan, PhD and Ze’ev Ronai, PhD

Education
2004, MS, Biology, University of California, San Diego

2003, BS, Molecular Biology Major, University of California, San Diego

2011, Certificate, Biotech Project Management, University of Washington/University of California, San Diego.

Publications

Cato, M.H.,* Yau, I.W. * and R.C. Rickert. 2011. Magnetic-based purification of untouched mouse germinal center B cells for ex- vivo manipulation and biochemical analysis. Nature Protocols. 9;6(7):953-60. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2011.344.

Cato, M.H., S.K. Chintalapati, I.W. Yau, S.A. Omori and R.C. Rickert. 2011. Cyclin D3 is selectively required for proliferative expansion of germinal center B cells. Mol. Cell. Bio. (1):127-37 .

Baracho GV, Miletic AV, Omori SA, Cato MH, Rickert RC. 2011. Emergence of the PI3-kinase pathway as a central modulator of normal and aberrant B cell differentiation. Curr Opin Immunol. (2):178-83.

Browne, C.D., M.M. Hoefer, S.K. Chintalapati, M.H. Cato, Y. Wallez, E.B. Pasquale and R.C. Rickert. 2010. SHEP1 partners with CasL to promote marginal zone B cell maturation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 107(44):18944-9.

Li S, Ezhevsky S, Dewing A, Cato MH, Scortegagna M, Bhoumik A, Breitwieser W, Braddock D, Eroshkin A, Qi J, Chen M, Kim J, Jones S, Jones N, Rickert RC, Ronai ZA. 2010. Radiation Sensitivity and Tumor Susceptibility in ATM phospho-mutant ATF2 mice. Genes and Cancer.  1(4):316-330.

Browne, C.D., C.J. Del Nagro, M.H. Cato, S.H. Dengler and R.C. Rickert. Suppression of PI(3,4,5)P₃ production is a key determinant of B cell anergy. Immunity. 5(11):749-760

Cato, M.H., F. D'Annibale, D.M. Mills, F. Cerignoli, M.I. Dawson, E. Bergamaschi, N. Bottini, A. Magrini, A. Bergamaschi A, N. Rosato, R.C. Rickert, T. Mustelin, and M. Bottini. 2008. Cell-type specific and cytoplasmic targeting of PEGylated carbon nanotube-based nanoassemblies. J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. 8(5):2259-69.

Omori, S.A., M.H. Cato, A. Anzelon-Mills, K.D. Puri, M. Shapiro-Shelef, K. Calame, and R.C. Rickert.  (2006).  Regulation of class switch recombination and plasma cell differentiation by the PI3K/Akt/Foxo signaling axis. Immunity, 25:545-557. (Highlighted in Science’s STKE, 2006, tw365).