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Kathleen Foltz

Associate Professor

Contact Information

Phone: (805) 893-4774
Email: foltz@lifesci.ucsb.edu
Office: 3156 Marine Biotechnology Building

Address

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9625

Bio

After earning a BS in Biological Sciences at Bowling Green State University (Ohio), Dr. Foltz pursued her PhD at Purdue University (1985-1989), where she worked with Dr. David Asai on the cell biology and biochemistry of microtubule based motility. She then pursued postdoctoral research as an NRSA-NIH Postdoctoral Scholar at the State University of New York-Stony Brook with Dr. William Lennarz, studying the molecular basis of gamete recognition in echinoderms. Dr. Foltz joined the faculty at UCSB in 1993.

Research

Our research is focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of gamete recognition and subsequent egg activation. Fertilization triggers extremely rapid and dramatic changes in the composition and architecture of protein complexes in the egg. These changes ultimately manifest in the ability of the activated egg to transition to an embryo. We use many species of marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins, sea stars and ascidians, to address these phenomena. Both large-scale biochemical approaches (including high throughput proteomic analyses) as well as single cell (microinjection and microscopic imaging) experiments can be conducted using the large, synchronously-developing eggs of these free spawning animals, which share the basic aspects of egg activation with other species, including mammals.

Selected Publications

  • Roux, MM and Foltz, KR (2011). Isolation and assessment of signaling proteins from synchronized cultures during egg activation and through the egg to embryo transition in sea urchins. Methods in Molecular Biology. In press.
  • Townley, IK, Schuyler, E, Parker-Gur, M and Foltz, KR (2009). Expression of multiple Src family kinases in sea urchin eggs and their function in Ca2+ release at fertilization. Developmental Biology. 327, 465-477.
  • Roux, MR, Radeke, MJ, Goel, M, Mushegian, A and Foltz, KR (2008). 2DE identification of proteins exhibiting turnover and phosphorylation dynamics during sea urchin egg activation. Developmental Biology. 313, 630-647.
  • Roux, MM, Townley, IK, Raisch, M, Reade, A, Bradham, C, Humphreys, G, Gunaratne, HJ, Killian, CE, Moy, G, Su, Y-H, Ettensohn, CA, Wilt, F, Vacquier, VD, Burke, RD, Wessel, G, and Foltz, KR (2006). A functional genomic and proteomic perspective of sea urchin calcium signaling and egg activation. Developmental Biology 300, 416-433.
  • Bradham, CA, Foltz, KR, Beane, WS, Arnone, MI, Rizzo, F, Coffman, JA, Mushegian, A, Goel, M, Morales, J, Geneviere, A-M, Lapraz, F, Robertson, AJ, Kelkar, H, Loza-Coll, M, Townley, IK, Raisch, M, Roux, MM, Lepage, T, Gache, C, McClay, DR, and Manning, G. (2006). The sea urchin kinome: A first look. Developmental Biology 300, 180-193.
  • Sea Urchin Genome Sequencing Consortium* (2006). The genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Science. 314, 941- 952. [*KR Foltz is co author with other members of international consortium, and led an annotation group (Reproductive Genes)].
  • Townley, I, Roux, MM, and Foltz, KR (2006). The egg activation pathway in invertebrate deuterostomes. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 17, 293-302.
  • Foltz, KR, Adams, NL, and Runft, LL (2004). Echinoderm eggs and embryos: procurement and culture. Methods Cell Biol 74, 39-73.
  • O'Neill, FJ, Gillett, J, and Foltz, KR (2004). Distinct roles for multiple Src family kinases at fertilization. J Cell Sci 117, 6227-6238.