Karin Musier-Forsyth

Karin Musier-Forsyth, an American biochemist, is an Ohio Eminent Scholar on the faculty of the
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Ohio State University.[1] Musier-Forsyth's research involves
biochemical, biophysical and cell-based approaches to understand the interactions of proteins and RNAs
involved in protein synthesis and viral replication, especially in HIV.

Personal history & education

Musier-Forsyth was born in 1962 in Dover, NJ to Horst and Maria Musier, who immigrated to the United
States from Germany in the 1950s.[2] Her family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1967 and she grew
up on the Isle of Capri in Treasure Island, Florida. Her extracurricular activities throughout elementary
school, high school, and college included piano, dance, and gymnastics. She attended Eckerd College in
St. Petersburg Florida and enjoyed a liberal arts education, study abroad opportunities in London,
England and Vienna, Austria, and research experiences at Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as at
Eckerd. She graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. In 1984, Musier-Forsyth
enrolled in graduate school at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY in the Department of Chemistry. Gordon
G. Hammes was her mentor and she received her Ph.D. in 1989. Musier-Forsyth met her husband, Craig
Forsyth,[3] in graduate school and they were married in Ithaca, NY in 1988. They have one son, Nicholas,
born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2003..

Professional history
From 1989-92, Musier -Forsyth did research in the laboratory of Paul Schimmel at MIT as an American
Cancer Society postdoctoral fellow. She was hired as an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Chemistry at the University of Minnesota in 1993, where she was promoted to Associate Professor in
1998 and full Professor in 2003. In 2007 she was named an Ohio Eminent Scholar and became a
Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Ohio State University.

Awards and honors

1996-2001 Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award[4]
2002 Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry
2003 Merck Professor of Chemistry, University of Minnesota
2004 Distinguished Women Scholars Award, College of Science and Engineering, University
of Minnesota[5]
2006 Distinguished McKnight University Professor, University of Minnesota[6]
2007 Ohio Eminent Scholar[7]
 2009 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow[8]

Scientific contributions
Musier-Forsyth has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and is known for her work on elucidating
key protein:nucleic interactions involved in viral replication and in the translation of the genetic code.
Her work has provided key insights into how the aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, the large family of
enzymes involved in protein synthesis, attach the correct amino acids to tRNAs and contribute to the
fidelity of protein translation. Her work has also provided fundamental insights into how retroviral
replication involves host amino acyl tRNA synthetases and tRNAs.[9][10] This work highlights potential
areas for therapeutic intervention in treating or preventing viral infections.[11]

A world renowned biochemist, Musier-Forsyth is recognized not only for her science expertise but as an
educator and mentor. She has lectured at a wide variety of universities around the world and is active in
numerous scientific societies. She is a peer reviewer for scientific publications and government granting
organizations. Her activities include the following:

2004-2006 Director of the Chemical-Biology Interface Pre-doctoral Training Program

(Minnesota, 2004-2006)
2003 Co-chair of the Nucleic Acids Gordon Conference
2006-2009 Editorial Advisory Board for Accounts of Chemical Research
2006-2010 NIH Molecular Genetics A study section panel (2006-2010).
2011–present Co-Director of NIH Cellular and Molecular Biochemical Sciences Training
Grant at Ohio State University[12]
2012-16 NIH General Medical Sciences (TWD-B) chartered committee member
2017 NIH Study Section, Ad Hoc Member of AIDS Molecular and Cellular Biology panel
2018–present NIH Study Section, Chartered Member of HIV molecular virology, cell biology,
and drug development (HVCD) Study Section panel
2006-09 Editorial Advisory Board, Accounts of Chemical Research
2010 Guest Editor, Special Issue of RNA Biology on “RNA Chaperones”
2011–present Editorial Board Member, RNA Biology
2012-2017 Editorial Board Member, Journal of Biological Chemistry
2014 Guest Editor, Special issue of Virus Research
2016-2018 Editorial Board Member, Biophysical Journal
2018–present Associate Editor, Journal of Biological Chemistry[13]

Representative publications
Jin D, Musier-Forsyth K. Role of host tRNAs and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in retroviral
replication. J Biol Chem. 2019;294(14):5352‐5364.[9]
Brigham BS, Kitzrow JP, Reyes JC, Musier-Forsyth K, Munro JB. Intrinsic conformational
dynamics of the HIV-1 genomic RNA 5'UTR. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
2019;116(21):10372‐10381.[14]
Musier-Forsyth K. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and tRNAs in human disease: an
introduction to the JBC Reviews thematic series. J Biol Chem. 2019;294(14):5292‐5293.[15]
Olson ED, Musier-Forsyth K. Retroviral Gag protein-RNA interactions: Implications for
specific genomic RNA packaging and virion assembly. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2019;86:129‐
 139.[16]
Wu W, Hatterschide J, Syu YC, et al. Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Gag domains have
distinct RNA-binding specificities with implications for RNA packaging and dimerization. J
Biol Chem. 2018;293(42):16261‐16276.[17]
Antonucci JM, Kim SH, St Gelais C, et al. SAMHD1 Impairs HIV-1 Gene Expression and
Negatively Modulates Reactivation of Viral Latency in CD4+ T Cells. J Virol.
2018;92(15):e00292-18. Published 2018 Jul 17.[18]
Bacusmo JM, Kuzmishin AB, Cantara WA, Goto Y, Suga H, Musier-Forsyth K. Quality
control by trans-editing factor prevents global mistranslation of non-protein amino acid α-
aminobutyrate. RNA Biol. 2018;15(4-5):576‐585.[19]
Todd GC, Duchon A, Inlora J, Olson ED, Musier-Forsyth K, Ono A. Inhibition of HIV-1 Gag-
membrane interactions by specific RNAs. RNA. 2017;23(3):395‐405.[20]
Berkhout B, Mouland AJ, Musier-Forsyth K. Retroviral nucleocapsid protein and assembly.
Foreword. Virus Res. 2014;193:1.[21]
Cantara WA, Olson ED, Forsyth KM. Progress and outlook in structural biology of large viral
RNAs. Virus Res. 2014;193:24‐38.[22]
Dewan V, Reader J, Forsyth KM. Role of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in infectious diseases
and targets for therapeutic development. Top Curr Chem. 2014;344:293‐329.[11]
Rein A, Datta SA, Jones CP, Musier-Forsyth K. Diverse interactions of retroviral Gag
proteins with RNAs. Trends Biochem Sci. 2011;36(7):373‐380.[23]
Yadavalli SS, Musier-Forsyth K, Ibba M. The return of pretransfer editing in protein
synthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105(49):19031‐19032.[24]
Kleiman L, Jones CP, Musier-Forsyth K. Formation of the tRNALys packaging complex in
HIV-1. FEBS Lett. 2010;584(2):359‐365.[25]
Qualley DF, Cooper SE, Ross JL, Olson ED, Cantara WA, Musier-Forsyth K. Solution
Conformation of Bovine Leukemia Virus Gag Suggests an Elongated Structure. J Mol Biol.
2019;431(6):1203‐1216.[26]
Musier-Forsyth K. RNA remodeling by chaperones and helicases. RNA Biol. 2010;7(6):632‐
633.[27]
Levin JG, Mitra M, Mascarenhas A, Musier-Forsyth K. Role of HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein in
HIV-1 reverse transcription. RNA Biol. 2010;7(6):754‐774.[28]

References
1. "Ohio State University Department of Chemistry" (https://chemistry.osu.edu/people/musier-f
orsyth.1).
2. "Ancestry.com records for Ellis Island" (https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/40/?na
me=_Musier&pg=2). Ancestry.com.
3. "Ohio State University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty" (https://chemistry.os
u.edu/people/forsyth.14).
4. "Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award" (https://www.dreyfus.org/wp-content/uploads/201
8/07/camille-past.pdf) (PDF).
5. "Univ of MN CSE awards" (https://cse.umn.edu/college/university-wide-awards-teaching-adv
ising-and-service).
6. "University of Minnesota, College of Science and Engineering Honorary Professors" (https://
cse.umn.edu/college/honorary-professorships).
7. "Ohio State University Dept of Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty profiles" (https://osbp.os
u.edu/people/musier-forsyth.1).
 8. "AAAS Fellows" (https://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/AnnualReports/2009/aaas_ann_rpt
_09l_fellows.pdf) (PDF).
9. Jin, Danni; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2019-04-05). "Role of host tRNAs and aminoacyl-tRNA
synthetases in retroviral replication" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC646251
4). Journal of Biological Chemistry. 294 (14): 5352–5364. doi:10.1074/jbc.REV118.002957
(https://doi.org/10.1074%2Fjbc.REV118.002957). ISSN 0021-9258 (https://search.worldcat.
org/issn/0021-9258). PMC 6462514 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC646251
4). PMID 30700559 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30700559).
10. "ASBMB Today" (https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/people/050119/meet-karin-musier%E
2%80%93forsyth).
11. Dewan, Varun; Reader, John; Forsyth, Karin-Musier (2013), Kim, Sunghoon (ed.), "Role of
Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases in Infectious Diseases and Targets for Therapeutic
Development", Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases in Biology and Medicine, vol. 344, Springer
Netherlands, pp. 293–329, doi:10.1007/128_2013_425 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2F128_201
3_425), ISBN 978-94-017-8700-0, PMID 23666077 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23666
077)
12. "CMPB Training Grant Program at OSU" (https://cmbp.osu.edu/).
13. "ASBMB newsletter" (https://www.newswise.com/articles/three-new-associate-editors-at-jour
nal-of-biological-chemistry).
14. Brigham, Benjamin S.; Kitzrow, Jonathan P.; Reyes, Joshua-Paolo C.; Musier-Forsyth,
Karin; Munro, James B. (2019-05-21). "Intrinsic conformational dynamics of the HIV-1
genomic RNA 5′UTR" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6534999).
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (21): 10372–10381.
doi:10.1073/pnas.1902271116 (https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.1902271116). ISSN 0027-
8424 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0027-8424). PMC 6534999 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/pmc/articles/PMC6534999). PMID 31068467 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3106846
7).
15. Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2019-04-05). "Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and tRNAs in human
disease: an introduction to the JBC Reviews thematic series" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pmc/articles/PMC6462500). Journal of Biological Chemistry. 294 (14): 5292–5293.
doi:10.1074/jbc.REV119.007721 (https://doi.org/10.1074%2Fjbc.REV119.007721).
ISSN 0021-9258 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0021-9258). PMC 6462500 (https://www.n
cbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6462500). PMID 30799306 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.g
ov/30799306).
16. Olson, Erik D.; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2019). "Retroviral Gag protein–RNA interactions:
Implications for specific genomic RNA packaging and virion assembly" (https://www.ncbi.nl
m.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6167211). Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology. 86: 129–
139. doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.03.015 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.semcdb.2018.03.015).
PMC 6167211 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6167211). PMID 29580971
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29580971).
17. Wu, Weixin; Hatterschide, Joshua; Syu, Yu-Ci; Cantara, William A.; Blower, Ruth J.;
Hanson, Heather M.; Mansky, Louis M.; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2018-10-19). "Human T-cell
leukemia virus type 1 Gag domains have distinct RNA-binding specificities with implications
for RNA packaging and dimerization" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC62009
28). Journal of Biological Chemistry. 293 (42): 16261–16276.
doi:10.1074/jbc.RA118.005531 (https://doi.org/10.1074%2Fjbc.RA118.005531). ISSN 0021-
9258 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0021-9258). PMC 6200928 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/pmc/articles/PMC6200928). PMID 30217825 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3021782
5).
18. Antonucci, Jenna M.; Kim, Sun Hee; St. Gelais, Corine; Bonifati, Serena; Li, Tai-Wei;
Buzovetsky, Olga; Knecht, Kirsten M.; Duchon, Alice A.; Xiong, Yong; Musier-Forsyth, Karin;
Wu, Li (2018-05-23). Sundquist, Wesley I. (ed.). "SAMHD1 Impairs HIV-1 Gene Expression
and Negatively Modulates Reactivation of Viral Latency in CD4 + T Cells" (https://www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6052313). Journal of Virology. 92 (15): e00292–18,
/jvi/92/15/e00292–18.atom. doi:10.1128/JVI.00292-18 (https://doi.org/10.1128%2FJVI.0029
2-18). ISSN 0022-538X (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0022-538X). PMC 6052313 (http
s://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6052313). PMID 29793958 (https://pubmed.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/29793958).
19. Bacusmo, Jo Marie; Kuzmishin, Alexandra B.; Cantara, William A.; Goto, Yuki; Suga,
Hiroaki; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2018-05-04). "Quality control by trans -editing factor
prevents global mistranslation of non-protein amino acid α-aminobutyrate" (https://www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6103672). RNA Biology. 15 (4–5): 576–585.
doi:10.1080/15476286.2017.1353846 (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F15476286.2017.135384
6). ISSN 1547-6286 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1547-6286). PMC 6103672 (https://ww
w.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6103672). PMID 28737471 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.ni
h.gov/28737471).
20. Todd, Gabrielle C.; Duchon, Alice; Inlora, Jingga; Olson, Erik D.; Musier-Forsyth, Karin; Ono,
Akira (2017). "Inhibition of HIV-1 Gag–membrane interactions by specific RNAs" (https://ww
w.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5311501). RNA. 23 (3): 395–405.
doi:10.1261/rna.058453.116 (https://doi.org/10.1261%2Frna.058453.116). ISSN 1355-8382
(https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1355-8382). PMC 5311501 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p
mc/articles/PMC5311501). PMID 27932583 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27932583).
21. Berkhout, Ben; Mouland, Andrew J.; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2014). "Foreword". Virus
Research. 193: 1. doi:10.1016/j.virusres.2014.10.018 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.virusres.
2014.10.018). PMID 25440780 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25440780).
22. Cantara, William A.; Olson, Erik D.; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2014). "Progress and outlook in
structural biology of large viral RNAs" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC42523
65). Virus Research. 193: 24–38. doi:10.1016/j.virusres.2014.06.007 (https://doi.org/10.101
6%2Fj.virusres.2014.06.007). PMC 4252365 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PM
C4252365). PMID 24956407 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24956407).
23. Rein, Alan; Datta, Siddhartha A.K.; Jones, Christopher P.; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2011).
"Diverse interactions of retroviral Gag proteins with RNAs" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm
c/articles/PMC3130074). Trends in Biochemical Sciences. 36 (7): 373–80.
doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2011.04.001 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.tibs.2011.04.001).
PMC 3130074 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3130074). PMID 21550256
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21550256).
24. Yadavalli, S. S.; Musier-Forsyth, K.; Ibba, M. (2008-12-09). "The return of pretransfer editing
in protein synthesis" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614708). Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (49): 19031–19032.
doi:10.1073/pnas.0810781106 (https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.0810781106). ISSN 0027-
8424 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0027-8424). PMC 2614708 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614708). PMID 19057010 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1905701
0).
25. Kleiman, Lawrence; Jones, Christopher P.; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2010-01-21). "Formation
of the tRNA Lys packaging complex in HIV-1" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PM
C2820394). FEBS Letters. 584 (2): 359–365. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2009.11.038 (https://doi.o
rg/10.1016%2Fj.febslet.2009.11.038). PMC 2820394 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti
cles/PMC2820394). PMID 19914238 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19914238).
26. Qualley, Dominic F.; Cooper, Sarah E.; Ross, James L.; Olson, Erik D.; Cantara, William A.;
Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2019). "Solution Conformation of Bovine Leukemia Virus Gag
Suggests an Elongated Structure" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC642459
7). Journal of Molecular Biology. 431 (6): 1203–1216. doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2019.01.036 (http
s://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jmb.2019.01.036). PMC 6424597 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm
c/articles/PMC6424597). PMID 30731090 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30731090).
27. Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2010). "RNA remodeling by chaperones and helicases" (https://doi.or
g/10.4161%2Frna.7.6.14467). RNA Biology. 7 (6): 632–633. doi:10.4161/rna.7.6.14467 (http
s://doi.org/10.4161%2Frna.7.6.14467). ISSN 1547-6286 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/15
47-6286). PMID 21173577 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21173577).
28. Levin, Judith G; Mitra, Mithun; Mascarenhas, Anjali; Musier-Forsyth, Karin (2010). "Role of
HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein in HIV-1 reverse transcription" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pm
c/articles/PMC3073334). RNA Biology. 7 (6): 754–774. doi:10.4161/rna.7.6.14115 (https://d
oi.org/10.4161%2Frna.7.6.14115). ISSN 1547-6286 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1547-6
286). PMC 3073334 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3073334).
PMID 21160280 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21160280).

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