Philippa  Melamed

Philippa Melamed

Education/ Resume:

ACADEMIC DEGREES

1988-91 B.Sc. in Animal Sciences; Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot.

1991-93 M.Sc. in Zoology; Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University.

1994-98 Ph.D. Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

1998-1999: Post-doctoral fellowship, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto and Department of Structural Biology and Biochemistry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.

1999-2007: Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore.

2007-2010: Associate Professor (tenured), Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore

2008-present: Associate Professor (tenured), Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

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Research Summary

Our research focuses on the role of epigenetics in the central control of reproduction. Weaim to understand the role of the chromatin in the activation and function of the reproductive axis during normal development. We are also looking at how the epigenome mediates variation in reproductive phenotypes, particularly in response to the environment, and its role in fertility disorders and reproductive disease.Our research focuses on molecular techniques, while including also biophysical approaches, cell and animal studies and analysis of human cohort data.

Awards:

2012:   Hans Lindner Prize for Basic Endocrinology research, Israel Endocrine Society
2003:   Young Investigator Award- Office of Life Sciences, National University of Singapore

Key Publications:
  • Bar-Sadeh B, Rudnizky S, Pnueli L, Bentley GR, Stöger R, Kaplan A, Melamed P. (2020) Unravelling the role of epigenetics in reproductive adaptations to early-life environment. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 16(9):519-533.
  • Rudnizky, S., Khamis, H., Malik, O., Melamed, P., & Kaplan, A. (2019) The base pair-scale diffusion of nucleosomes modulates binding of transcription factors. Proc Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 116(25), 12161-12166.‏
  • Yosefzon Y, David C, Tsukerman A, Pnueli L, Qiao S, Boehm U, Melamed P. (2017) An epigenetic switch repressing Tet1 in gonadotropes activates the reproductive axis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 114:10131-10136
  • Rudnizky S, Bavly A, Malik O, Pnueli L, Melamed P, Kaplan A. (2016) H2A.Z controls the stability and mobility of nucleosomes to regulate expression of the LH genes. Nature Communications 7:12958
  • Pnueli, L., Yosefzon, Y., Rudnizky, S. and Melamed P. (2015) RNA transcribed from a distal enhancer is required for histone modifications at the promoter of the gonadotropin α-subunit gene. Proc Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2015 112:4369-74
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Recent Publications:
  • Shalev, D. Melamed P. (2020) The role of the hypothalamus and pituitary epigenomes in central activation of the reproductive axis at puberty. Mol Cell Endocronol. Dec 1;518:111031
  • Bar-Sadeh B, Rudnizky S, Pnueli L, Bentley GR, Stöger R, Kaplan A, Melamed P. (2020) Unravelling the role of epigenetics in reproductive adaptations to early-life environment. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 16(9):519-533.
  • Rudnizky, S., Khamis, H., Malik, O., Squires, A.H., Meller, A., Melamed, P., Kaplan, A. (2019) The base pair scale diffusion of nucleosomes modulates binding of transcription factors. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 116(25):12161-12166
  • Feldman, A., Saleh, A., Pnulei, L., Qiao, S., Shlomi, T., Boehm, U., Melamed, P. (2019) Sensitivity of pituitary gonadotropes to hyperglycemia leads to epigenetic aberrations and reduced follicle-stimulating hormone levels. FASEB J. 33(1):1020-1032
  • Melamed, P., Haj, M., Yosefzon, Y., Rudnizky, S., Wijeweera, A., Pnueli, L., Kaplan, A. (2018) Mutifaceted targeting of the chromatin mediates GnRH effects on gene expression in the gonadotrope.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 9:58
  • Yosefzon Y, David C, Tsukerman A, Pnueli L, Qiao S, Boehm U, Melamed P. (2017) An epigenetic switch repressing Tet1 in gonadotropes activates the reproductive axis. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 114:10131-10136
  • Melamed, P., Yosefzon, Y, David, C., Tsukerman, A., Pnueli, L. (2018) Tet enzymes, variants and differential effects on function. Front Cell Dev Biol. 6:22.
  • Rudnizky, S., Khamis, H., Malik, O., Squires, A.H., Meller, A., Melamed, P., Kaplan, A. (2018) Single-molecule DNA unzipping reveals asymmetric modulation of the transcription factor Egr-1 by its binding site sequence and context. Nucleic Acids Res. 46:1513-1524
  • Haj, M., Wijeweera, A., Rudnizky, S., Taunton, J., Pnueli, L., Melamed, P. (2017) Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 is required for gonadotropin-releasing hormone-mediated activation of gonadotropin α-subunit expression. Biol. Chem. 292:20720-20731
  • Rudnizky, S., Bavly, A., Malik, O., Pnueli, L., Melamed, P., Kaplan, A. (2017)Nucleosome mobility and the regulation of gene expression: insights from single-molecule studies. Protein Science26:1266-1277.
  • Rahamim-Ben Navi, L., Tsukerman, A., Feldman, A., Melamed, P., Tomić, M., Stojilkovic, S.S., Boehm, U., Seger, R., Naor, Z. (2017) GnRH induces bleb formation in gonadotrope cells, involving recruitment of members of a GnRH receptor-associated signalosome to the blebs. Frontiers Endocrinology 8:113.
  • Melamed P., Yosefzon, Y., Rudnizky, S. Pnueli, L. (2016) Transcriptional enhancers: transcription, function and flexibility. Transcription 7:1.
  • Rudnizky, S., Bavly, A., Malik, O., Pnueli, L., Melamed, P., Kaplan, A. (2016) DNA sequence and H2A.Z control the stability and mobility of promoter nucleosomes to regulate basal expression of the LH genes. Nature Communications 7:12958.
  • Wijeweera, A., Haj, M., Feldman, A., Pnueli L., Luo, Z. and Melamed P. (2015) Gonadotropin gene transcription is activated by Menin-mediated effects on the chromatin. BiochimBiophys Acta 1849:328-341.
  • Pnueli, L., Rudnizky, S., Yosefzon, Y. and Melamed P. (2015) RNA transcribed from a distal enhancer is required for histone modifications at the promoter of the gonadotropin α-subunit gene. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 112:4369-74.
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Open Positions

We are always looking for hard-working and motivated Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, and also for those wanting to join the lab for an undergraduate project

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