Hyeseung Lee

Presented by Sohail Tavazoie

B.S., Ewha Womans University

Identification of Tmem2 as a Sox4 Transcriptional Target Involved in Breast Cancer Metastasis

Hyeseung studied chemistry and life sciences in South Korea. In my lab, she studied how a gene called SOX4 endows cancer cells with the ability to form deadly metastases. SOX4 is what we call a transcription factor. It encodes a protein that turns on other genes. Hyeseung used a systematic approach to identify which genes SOX4 turns on. She then tested each of these genes to determine which one(s) are responsible for the effects of SOX4 on metastasis. This led her to discover one gene not previously linked to cancer as being the culprit that mediates the effects of SOX4 on metastasis. This gene is a protein that sits in the membrane and whose function was poorly understood. Hyeseung found that this gene enhances the ability of breast cancer cells to spread and form metastases. Moreover, breast cancers from patients that express higher levels of SOX4, and consequently Hyeseung’s newly found gene, tend to metastasize more frequently. In addition to this work, Hyeseung collaborated with Claudio Alarcon in the lab to study how marks on RNA, in the form of methyl groups on adenosines, can impact the expression of genes in our genomes.

Hyeseung came to my lab with very limited experience in molecular biology and cancer. I’m incredibly proud of how much she has learned and how far she has come. She is an incredibly hard worker and absolutely loves doing science. She has convinced me that she loves science more than she loves karaoke, and you’ve never seen anyone love karaoke more than Hyeseung. Hyseung is currently choosing her postdoc lab. Hyeseung, keep up the great work and congratulations!