George Lucian Moldovan, PhD

Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine

Publications

(Link to PubMed)

  1. Straka, J., Khatib, J.B., Pale L.M., Nicolae, C.M., and Moldovan, G.L. (2024) CAF-1 promotes efficient PrimPol recruitment to nascent DNA for single stranded DNA gap formation. Nucleic Acids Research. gkae1068. PMID: 39558157.

 

  1. Pale L.M., Khatib J.B.*, Nusawardhana A.*, Straka J.*, Nicolae C.M. and Moldovan G.L. (2024) CRISPR knockout genome-wide screens identify HELQ and RAD52 as regulators of the repair of chemotherapy-induced single stranded DNA gaps. Nucleic Acids Research. gkae998. PMID: 39530221.

 

  1. 3. Hale A. and Moldovan G.L. Novel insights into the role of bisphenol A (BPA) in genomic instability (2024) NAR Cancer 6:zcae038 (Review). PMID: 39319028; PMCID: PMC11420844.

 

  1. Khatib J.B.*, Dhoonmoon A.*, Moldovan G.L., and Nicolae C.M. (2024) PARP10 promotes the repair of nascent strand DNA gaps through RAD18 mediated Translesion Synthesis. Nature Communications. 15:6197. PMID: 39043663. PMCID: PMC11266678.

 

  1. Nusawardhana A.*, Pale L.M.*, Nicolae C.M., and Moldovan G.L. (2024) USP1-dependent nucleolytic expansion of PRIMPOL-generated nascent DNA strand discontinuities during replication stress. Nucleic Acids Research 52:2340-2354. PMID: 38180818. PMCID: PMC10954467.

 

  1. Leung W., Baxley R.M., Traband E., Chang Y.C., Rogers C.B., Wang L., Durrett W., Bromley K.S., Fiedorowicz L., Thakar T., Tella A., Sobeck A., Hendrickson E.A., Moldovan G.L., Shima N., Bielinsky A.K. (2023) FANCD2-dependent mitotic DNA synthesis relies on PCNA K164 ubiquitination. Cell Reports. 42:113523. PMID: 38060446. PMCID: PMC1084246.

 

  1. Hale A., Dhoonmoon A., Straka J., Nicolae C.M.x, and Moldovan G.L.x. (2023) Multi-step processing of replication stress-derived nascent strand DNA gaps by MRE11 and EXO1 nucleases. Nature Communications 14:6265. PMID: 37805499. PMCID: PMC10560291.

 

  1. Khatib J., Nicolae C.M., and Moldovan G.L. (2023) Role of Translesion DNA Synthesis in the metabolism of replication-associated nascent strand gaps. Journal of Molecular Biology 436:168275 (Review). PMID: 37714300.

 

  1. Wang Y.C., Kelso A.A., Karamafrooz A., Chen Y.I., Chen W.K., Cheng K.T., Qi Y., Gu L., Malkas L., Kung H.J., Moldovan G.L., Ciccia A., Stark J.M., Ann D.K. (2023) Arginine-deprivation confers resistance to genotoxicity by inhibiting histone H4 translation and promoting PCNA polyubiquitination. Cell Reports 42:112296. PMID: 36961817.

 

  1. Jackson L.M. and Moldovan G.L. (2022) Mechanisms of PARP inhibitor resistance and their implications for cancer treatment. NAR Cancer. 4:zcac042 (Review). PMID: 36568963. PMCID: PMC9773381.

 

  1. Khatib J.B.*, Schleicher E.M.*, Jackson L.M., Dhoonmoon A., Moldovan G.L., and Nicolae C.M. (2022) Complementary CRISPR genome-wide genetic screens in PARP10-knockout and overexpressing cells identify synthetic interactions for PARP10-mediated cellular survival. Oncotarget. 13:1078-1091. PMID: 36187556. PMCID: PMC9518689.

 

  1. Thakar T., Dhoonmoon A., Straka J., Schleicher E.M., Nicolae C.M., and Moldovan G.L. (2022) Lagging strand gap suppression connects BRCA-mediated fork protection to nucleosome assembly through PCNA-dependent CAF-1 recycling. Nature Communications. 13:5323. PMID: 36085347. PMCID: PMC9463168

 

  1. Dhoonmoon A., Nicolae C.M. x, and Moldovan G.L.x. (2022) The KU-PARP14 axis differentially regulates DNA resection at stalled replication forks by MRE11 and EXO1. Nature Communications. 13:5063. PMID: 36030235. PMCID: PMC9420157.

 

  1. Schleicher E.M., Dhoonmoon A., Jackson L.M., Khatib J.B., Nicolae C.M., and Moldovan G.L. (2022) The TIP60-ATM axis regulates replication fork stability in BRCA-deficient cells. Oncogenesis. 12:6311. PMID: 35428820. PMCID: PMC9012789.

 

  1. Hirschler-Laszkiewicz I., Festa F., Huang S., Moldovan G.L., Nicolae C.M., Dhoonmoon A., Bao L., Keefer K., Chen S.J., Wang H.G., Cheung J.Y., and Miller B.A. (2022) The human ion channel TRPM2 modulates cell survival in neuroblastoma through E2F1 and FOXM1. Scientific Reports. 12:6311. PMID: 35428820. PMCID: PMC9012789.

 

  1. Abu-Libdeh B., Jhujh S.S., Dhar S., Sommers J.A., Datta A., Longo G.M., Grange L.J., Reynolds J.J., Cooke S.L., McNee G.S., Hollingworth R., Woodward B.L., Ganesh A.N., Smerdon S.J., Nicolae C.M., Durlacher-Betzer K., Molho-Pessach V., Abu-Libdeh A., Meiner V., Moldovan G.L., Roukos V., Harel T., Brosh R.M., Stewart G.S. (2022) RECON syndrome is a genome instability disorder caused by mutations in the DNA helicase RECQL1. J Clin Invest. 132:e147301. PMID: 35025765; PMCID: PMC8884905.

 

  1. Jackson L.M.*, Dhoonmoon A.*, Hale, A., Dennis, K.A., Schleicher E.M., Nicolae C.M., and Moldovan G.L. (2021) Loss of MED12 activates the TGFβ pathway to promote chemoresistance and replication fork stability in BRCA-deficient cells. Nucleic Acids Research, 49:12855-12869. PMID: 34871431; PMCID: PMC8682781.

 

  1. Datta A., Biswas K., Sommers J.A., Thompson H., Awate S., Nicolae C.M., Thakar T., Moldovan G.L., Shoemaker R.H, Sharan S.K., and Brosh R.M. (2021) WRN helicase safeguards deprotected replication Forks in BRCA2-mutated cancer cells. Nature Communications, 12:6561. PMID: 34772932; PMCID: PMC8590011.

 

  1. Schleicher E.M. and Moldovan G.L. (2021) CRISPR screens guide the way for PARP and ATR inhibitor biomarker discovery. FEBS Journal, 289:7854-7868 (Review). PMID: 34601817; PMCID: PMC9003637.

 

  1. Luscher B., et al (40 authors) (2021). ADP-ribosyltransferases, an update on function and nomenclature. FEBS Journal 289:7399-7410 (Review). PMID: 34323016; PMCID: 7399-7410.

 

  1. O’Connor M.J., Thakar T., Nicolae C.M., and Moldovan G.L. (2021) PARP14 regulates cyclin D1 expression to promote cell cycle progression. Oncogene, 40:4872-4883. PMID: 34158578, PMCID: PMC8384455.

 

  1. Weissenrieder J.S, Moldovan G.L., Johnson M.T., Trebak M., Neighbors J.D., Mailman R.B., and Hohl R.J. (2021) Antipsychotic drugs elicit cytotoxicity in glioblastoma multiforme in a calcium-dependent, non-D2 receptor-dependent, manner. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 9:e00689. PMID: 34003586; PMCID: PMC8130568.

 

  1. Thakar T. and Moldovan G.L. (2021) The emerging determinants of replication fork stability. Nucleic Acids Research, 49:7224-7238 (Review). PMID: 33978751; PMCID: PMC8287955.

 

  1. Clements K.E., Schleicher E.M., Thakar T., Hale A., Dhoonmoon A., Tolman N.J., Sharma A., Liang X., Imamura Kawasawa Y., Nicolae C.M., Wang H.G., De S., and Moldovan G.L. (2020) Identification of regulators of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor response through complementary CRISPR knockout and activation screens. Nature Communications, 11:6118. PMID: 33257658; PMCID: PMC7704667.

 

  1. Schleicher E.M., Dhoonmoon A., Clements K.E., Jackson L.M., Stump C.L., Nicolae C.M., and Moldovan G.L. (2020) Dual genome-wide CRISPR knockout and CRISPR activation screens identify mechanisms that regulate the resistance to multiple ATR inhibitors. PLoS Genetics, 16:e1009176. PMID: 33137164; PMCID: PMC7660927.

 

  1. Awate S., Sommers J.A., Datta A., Nayak S., Bellani M.A., Yang O., Dunn C.A., Nicolae C.M., Moldovan G.L., Seidman M.M., Cantor S.B., Brosh R.M. (2020) FANCJ compensates for RAP80 deficiency and suppresses genomic instability induced by interstrand cross-links. Nucleic Acids Research, 48:9161-9180. PMID: 32797166; PMCID: PMC7498338.

 

  1. Dhoonmoon A.*, Schleicher E.M.*, Nicolae C.M., Clements K.E., and Moldovan G.L. (2020) Genome-wide CRISPR synthetic lethality screen identifies a role for the ADP-ribosyltransferase PARP14 in replication fork dynamics controlled by ATR. Nucleic Acids Research, 48:7252-7264. PMID: 32542389; PMCID: PMC7367200.

 

  1. Thakar T., Leung W., Nicolae C.M., Clements K.E., Shen B., Bielinsky A.K., and Moldovan G.L. (2020) Ubiquitinated-PCNA protects replication forks from DNA2-mediated degradation by regulating Okazaki fragment maturation and chromatin assembly. Nature Communications, 11:2147. PMID: 32358495; PMCID: PMC7195461.

 

  1. Weissenrieder J.S., Reed J.L., Green M.V., Moldovan G.L., Koubek E.J., Neighbors J.D., and Hohl R.J. (2020) The dopamine D2 receptor contributes to the spheroid formation behavior of U87MG glioblastoma cells. Pharmacology, 105:19-27. PMID: 31645049.

 

  1. Yamamoto T.M., McMellen A., Watson Z.L., Aguilera J., Sikora M.J., Ferguson R., Nurmammadov E, Thakar T., Moldovan G.L., Kim H., Cittelly D.M., Wilson H., Behbakht K., and Bitler B.G. (2019) Targeting Wnt signaling to overcome PARP inhibitor resistance. Molecular Carcinogenesis, 58:1770-1782. PMID: 31219654

 

  1. Naldiga S., Ji S., Thomforde J., Nicolae C.M., Lee M., Zhang Z., Moldovan G.L., Tretyakova N.Y., and Basu A.K. (2019) Error-prone replication of a 5-Formylcytosine-mediated DNA-peptide crosslink in human cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 294:10619-10627. PMID: 31138652; PMCID: PMC6615699.

 

  1. Nicolae C.M., O’Connor M.J., Schleicher E.M., Song C., Gowda R., Robertson G., Dovat S., and Moldovan G.L. (2019) PARI (PARPBP) suppresses replication stress-induced myeloid differentiation in leukemia cells. Oncogene, 38:5530-5540. PMID: 30967629.

 

  1. Edvardson S. *, Nicolae C.M. *, Noh G.J. *, Burton J., Punzi G., De Grassi A., Pierri C.L., Elpeleg O., and Moldovan G.L. (2019) Heterozygous de novo RNF13 gain-of-function variant is associated with congenital epileptic encephalopathy, cortical blindness, bilateral hearing loss and failure to thrive. American Journal of Human Genetics, 104:179-185. PMID: 30595371; PMCID: PMC6323416.

 

  1. Ranoa D.R.E., Widau R.C., Mallon S., Parekh A.D., Nicolae C.M., Huang X., Bolt M.J., Arina A., Parry R., Kron S.J., Moldovan G.L., Khodarev N.N., and Weichselbaum R.R. (2019) Homeostatic roles of STING in cell proliferation and chromosomal instability. Cancer Research, 79:1465-1479. PMID: 30482772; PMCID: PMC6445702.

 

  1. Leung W., Baxley R.M., Moldovan G.L., and Bielinsky K.M. (2018) Mechanisms regulating DNA Damage Tolerance: Post-translational modifications of PCNA. Genes, 10:E10. PMID: 30586904; PMCID: PMC6356670

 

  1. Barnes R.P., Tsao W.C., Moldovan G.L., and Eckert K.A. (2018) Human DNA Polymerase Eta is Up-Regulated During Replication Stress to Prevent Cell Cycle Arrest and Cell Death. Cancer Research, 78:6549-6560. PMID: 30297532

 

  1. Clements K.E., Thakar T., Nicolae C.M., Liang X., Wang H.G., and Moldovan
 G.L. (2018) Loss of E2F7 confers resistance to poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in BRCA2 deficient cells
. Nucleic Acids Research, 46:8898-8907. PMID: 30032296; PMCID: PMC6158596

 

  1. Schleicher E.M., Galvan A.M., Imamura-Kawasawa Y., Moldovan
 G.L., Nicolae C.M. (2018) PARP10 promotes cellular proliferation and tumorigenesis by alleviating replication stress. Nucleic Acids Research, 46:8908-8916. PMID: 30032250; PMCID: PMC6158756

 

  1. Nicolae C.M., O’Connor M.J., Constantin D., Moldovan G.L. (2018) NFkB regulates p21 expression and controls DNA damage-induced leukemic differentiation. Oncogene, 37:3647-3656. PMID: 29622796

 

  1. Edvardson S.*, Nicolae C.M.*, Agrawal P.B., Mignot C., Payne K., Colaiacovo S., Shaag A., Cho M.T., Keren B., Moldovan G.L. x, Elpeleg O. x (2017) Heterozygous UBTF gain-of-function variant is associated with developmental regression in childhood. Am. J. Human Genetics, 101:267-273. PMID: 28777933; PMCID: PMC5544390 (xco-corresponding author)

 

  1. Choe K.N. and Moldovan G.L. (2017) Forging ahead through darkness: PCNA, still the principal conductor of the replication fork. Molecular Cell, 65:380-392 (Review). PMID: 28157503 PMCID: PMC5302417

 

  1. Shahrour M.A.*, Nicolae C.M.*, Ashhab M., Edvardson S, Abu-Libdeh M., Galvan A.M., Constantin D., Moldovan G.L.x, Elpeleg O.x (2016) PARP10 deficiency manifests by infantile neurodegeneration and DNA repair defect. Neurogenetics, 17:227-232. PMID: 27624574; PMCID: PMC5096377. (xco-corresponding author)

 

  1. Nicolae C.M., Moldovan G.L. (2016) ERKing Trypanosoma: PCNA phosphorylation as novel target. Cell Cycle 15:3167-3168 (Review). PMID: 27635479; PMCID: PMC5176136

 

  1. Cukras S., Lee E., Palumbo E., Benavidez P., Moldovan G.L., and Kee Y (2016). The USP1-UAF1 complex interacts with RAD51AP1 to promote Homologous Recombination Repair. Cell Cycle, 15:2636-2646. PMID: 27463890; PMCID: PMC5053553

 

  1. Choe K.N., Nicolae C.M., Constantin D., Kawasawa Imamura Y., Delgado-Diaz M.R., Smits V.A.J., Freire R., De S., Moldovan G.L. (2016) HUWE1 interacts with PCNA to alleviate replication stress, EMBO Reports, 17:874-886. PMID: 27146073; PMCID: PMC5278616

 

Previewed by Coleman K.E. and Huang T.T. (2016) HUWE1 comes to the rescue at stalled replication forks, EMBO Reports, 10.15252/embr.201642551

 

  1. Gowda P.A.S., Moldovan G.L., Spratt T.E. (2015) Human DNA Polymerase Nu catalyzes correct and incorrect DNA synthesis with high catalytic efficiency, Journal of Biological Chemistry 290:16292-16303. PMID: 25963146. PMCID: PMC4481228

 

  1. Nicolae C.M.*, Aho E.R.*, Choe K.N., Constantin D., Hu H.J., Lee D., Myung K., Moldovan G.L. (2015) A novel role for the mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase PARP14/ARTD8 in promoting homologous recombination and protecting against replication stress. Nucleic Acids Research 43:3143-3153. PMID: 25753673. PMCID: PMC4381061.

 

  1. Nicolae C.M., Aho E.R., Vlahos A.H.S., Choe K.N., De S., Karras G.I., Moldovan G.L. (2014) The ADP-ribosyltransferase PARP10/ARTD10 participates in PCNA-dependent DNA repair. Journal of Biological Chemistry 289:13627-13637. PMID: 24695737. PMCID: PMC4036367.

 

  1. O’Connor, K., Dejsuphong, D., Park, E., Nicolae, C.M., Kimmelman, A.C., D’Andrea, A.D., Moldovan, G.L. (2013) PARI overexpression promotes genomic instability and pancreatic tumorigenesis. Cancer Research 73:2529-2539. PMID: 23436799. PMCID: PMC3630264.

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., Dejsuphong, D., Petalcorin, M., Hoffman, K., Takeda, S., Boulton, S.J., D’Andrea, A.D. (2012) Inhibition of homologous recombination by the PCNA-associated protein PARI. Molecular Cell 45:75-86. PMID: 22153967. PMCID: PMC3267324.

 

Previewed by Mankouri H.W., Chu K.W. and Hickson I.D. (2012) A novel antirecombinase gains PARIty. Molecular Cell 45:6-7

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., D’Andrea, A.D. (2012). To the rescue: The Fanconi Anemia genome stability pathway salvages replication forks. Cancer Cell 22:5-6 (Review). PMID: 22789533. PMCID: PMC3406730.

 

  1. Yang, K., Moldovan, G.L., Vinciguerra, P., Murai, J., Takeda, S., D’Andrea, A.D. (2011) Regulation of the Fanconi Anemia pathway by a SUMO-like delivery network. Genes and Development 25:1847-1858. PMID: 21896657. PMCID: PMC3175720.

 

Previewed by van Wijk SJ, Müller S, and Dikic I. (2011) Shared and unique properties of ubiquitin and SUMO interaction networks in DNA repair. Genes and Development 25:1763-1769

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., D’Andrea, A.D. (2011). DNA damage discrimination at stalled replication forks by the Rad5 homologues HLTF and SHPRH. Molecular Cell 42:141-143 (Review). PMID: 21504827.

 

  1. Yang, K., Moldovan, G.L., D’Andrea, A.D. (2010) RAD18-dependent recruitment of SNM1A to DNA repair c1mplexes by a Ubiquitin-binding zinc finger. Journal of Biological Chemistry 285:19085-19091. PMID: 20385554. PMCID: PMC2885187.

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., Madhavan, M.V., Mirchandani, K., McCaffrey, R., Vinciguerra, P., D’Andrea, A.D. (2010) DNA polymerase POLN participates in crosslink repair and homologous recombination. Molecular and Cellular Biology 30:1088-1096. PMID: 19995904. PMCID: PMC2815579.

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., D’Andrea, A.D. (2009). FANCD2 hurdles the DNA interstrand crosslink. Cell 139:1222-1224 (Review). PMID: 20064367. PMCID: PMC2825892.

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., D’Andrea, A.D. (2009). How the Fanconi Anemia pathway guards the genome. Annual Reviews of Genetics 43:223-249 (Review). PMID: 19686080. PMCID: PMC2830711.

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., Pfander, B., Jentsch S. (2007). PCNA, the maestro of the replication fork. Cell 129:665-679 (Review). PMID: 17512402.

 

  1. Moldovan, G.L., Pfander, B., Jentsch, S. (2006). PCNA controls establishment of sister chromatid cohesion during S phase. Molecular Cell 23:723-732. PMID: 16934511.

 

  1. Arakawa, H., Moldovan, G.L., Saribasak, H., Saribasak, N.N., Jentsch, S., Buerstedde, J.M. (2006). A role for PCNA ubiquitination in immunoglobulin hypermutation. PloS Biology, e366. PMID: 17105346. PMCID: PMC1618868.

 

Previewed by Gross L. (2006) Borrowing a DNA repair enzyme to fine-tune antibody specificity. PloS Biology, e403

 

  1. Pfander, B., Moldovan, G.L., Sacher, M., Hoege, C., Jentsch, S. (2005). SUMO-modified PCNA recruits Srs2 to prevent recombination during S phase. Nature 436, 428-433. PMID: 15931174.

 

  1. Hoege, C., Pfander, B., Moldovan, G.L., Pyrowolakis, G., Jentsch, S. (2002). RAD6-dependent DNA repair is linked to modification of PCNA by ubiquitin and SUMO. Nature 419:135-141. PMID: 12226657.

 

Previewed by Pickart CM. (2002) DNA repair: right on target with ubiquitin. Nature 419:120

 

* indicates equal contribution

x indicates co-corresponding authors

 

Preprints

  1. Leung W., Baxley R.M., Thakar T., Buytendorp J.P., Wang L., Rogers C.B., Tella A., Moldovan G.L., Shima N., and Bielinsky A.K. PCNA-K164 ubiquitination facilitates origin licensing and mitotic DNA synthesis. BioRxiv
  2. Liu, Q., Atkinson, J.M., Gebru, M.T., Clements, K., Moldovan, G.L., and Wang, H.G. A luciferase-based assay identifies niclosamide derivatives antagonizing Mcl-1 through post-translational down-regulation. BioRxiv
  3.  Xu J., Schleicher E., Song F., Pool C., Bann D., Sheldon K., Annageldiyev C, Sharma A., Chang Y., Hastie A., Miller B., Goldenberg D., Claxton D., Moldovan G.L., Yue F., and Broach J.R. (2019) An integrated framework for genome analysis reveals numerous previously unrecognizable structural variants in leukemia patients’ samples. BioRxiv
Skip to toolbar