Staff Scientist (2024 – present)
email: brian.galletta@nih.gov
phone: 301-827-1116
–
HISTORY
1997 – B.S., The Pennsylvania State University (Biology)
2004 – Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University (Advisor: Dr. Susan Abmayr)
2004 – 2009 – Postdoctoral fellow, Washington University School of Medicine (Advisor: Dr. John Cooper)
2009 – 2011 – Research Assistant Professor, Washington University School of Medicine
2011 – 2018 – Research Fellow, CBPC, NHLBI, NIH
PUBLICATIONS (PubMed)
31: Buglak DB, Galletta BJ, Rusan NM. Molecular models of the sperm head-tail coupling apparatus. J Cell Sci. 2025 Oct 1;138(19)
30: Yang B, Galletta BJ, Sakhawala RM, Rusan NM, McJunkin K. An intrinsically disordered region of Drosha selectively promotes miRNA biogenesis independent of tissue-specific Microprocessor condensates. Genes Dev. 2026 Jan 5;40(1-2):26-42.
29: Galletta BJ, Konstantinidou P, Haase AD, Rusan NM. A deficiency screen identifies genomic regions critical for sperm head-tail connection. G3 (Bethesda). 2025 Feb 5;15(2)
28: Buglak DB, Holmes KHM, Galletta BJ, Rusan NM. The proximal centriole-like structure maintains nucleus-centriole architecture in sperm. J Cell Sci. 2024 Sep 1;137(17)
27: Ryniawec JM, Hannaford MR, Zibrat ME, Fagerstrom CJ, Galletta BJ, Aguirre SE, Guice BA, Dean SM, Rusan NM, Rogers GC. Cep104 is a component of the centriole distal tip complex that regulates centriole growth and contributes to Drosophila spermiogenesis. Curr Biol. 2023 Oct 9;33(19):4202-4216
26: O’Neill RS, Sodeinde AK, Welsh FC, Fagerstrom CJ, Galletta BJ, Rusan NM. Spd-2 gene duplication reveals cell-type-specific pericentriolar material regulation. Curr Biol. 2023 Jul 24;33(14):3031-3040
25: Galletta BJ, Varadarajan R, Fagerstrom CJ, Yang B, Haase KP, McJunkin K, Rusan NM. The E3 ligase Poe promotes Pericentrin degradation. Mol Biol Cell. 2023 Aug 1;34(9)
24: Hannaford MR, Liu R, Billington N, Swider ZT, Galletta BJ, Fagerstrom CJ, Combs C, Sellers JR, Rusan NM. Pericentrin interacts with Kinesin-1 to drive centriole motility. J Cell Biol. 2022 Sep 5;221(9)
23: Mahadevaraju S, Fear JM, Akeju M, Galletta BJ, Pinheiro MMLS, Avelino CC, Cabral-de-Mello DC, Conlon K, Dell’Orso S, Demere Z, Mansuria K, Mendonça CA, Palacios-Gimenez OM, Ross E, Savery M, Yu K, Smith HE, Sartorelli V, Yang H, Rusan NM, Vibranovski MD, Matunis E, Oliver B. Dynamic sex chromosome expression in Drosophila male germ cells. Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 9;12(1):892.
22: Galletta BJ, Ortega JM, Smith SL, Fagerstrom CJ, Fear JM, Mahadevaraju S, Oliver B, Rusan NM. Sperm Head-Tail Linkage Requires Restriction of Pericentriolar Material to the Proximal Centriole End. Dev Cell. 2020 Apr 6;53(1):86-101
21: McLamarrah TA, Speed SK, Ryniawec JM, Buster DW, Fagerstrom CJ, Galletta BJ, Rusan NM, Rogers GC. A molecular mechanism for the procentriole recruitment of Ana2. J Cell Biol. 2020 Feb 3;219(2)
20. McLamarrah TA, Buster DW, Galletta BJ, Boese CJ, Ryniawec JM, Hollingsworth NA, Byrnes AE, Brownlee CW, Slep KC, Rusan NM, Rogers GC. An ordered pattern of Ana2 phosphorylation by Plk4 is required for centriole assembly. Journal of Cell Biology, 217(4):1217-1231
19. Galletta B.J., Fagerstrom, C.J., Schoborg, T.A., McLamarrah, T.A., Ryniawec, J.M, Buster, D.W., Slep, K.C., Rogers G.C., Rusan, N.M.. A detailed centrosome interactome provides insight into organelle assembly and human disease. Nature Communications, 7:12476
18. Galletta B.J., Jacobs K.C., Fagerstrom C.J., and Rusan, N.M. Asterless is required for centriole length control and sperm development. Journal of Cell Biology, 23;213(4):435-50
17. Wang, X., Galletta, B.J., Cooper J.A. and, Carlsson A.E. (2016) Actin-Regulator Feedback Interactions during Endocytosis. Biophys. J. 110(6):1430-43
16. Plevock, K.M., Galletta B.J., Slep K.C. and Rusan, N.M. (2015) Newly Characterized Region of CP190 Associates with Microtubules and Mediates Proper Spindle Morphology in Drosophila Stem Cells. PLoS One. 10:e0144174
15. Galletta BJ#, Rusan NM. (2015) A yeast two-hybrid approach for probing protein-protein interactions at the centrosome. Methods in Cell Biology, 129:251-77. #corresponding author
14. Lerit DA, Jordan HA, Poulton JS, Fagerstrom CJ, Galletta BJ, Peifer M, Rusan NM. (2015) Interphase centrosome organization by the PLP-Cnn scaffold is required for centrosome function. Journal of Cell Biology, 210(1):79-97.
13. Klebba JE*, Galletta BJ*, Nye J, Plevock KM, Buster DW, Hollingsworth NA, Slep KC, Rusan NM#, Rogers GC#. (2015) Two Polo-like kinase 4 binding domains in Asterless perform distinct roles in regulating kinase stability. Journal of Cell Biology, 16;208(4):401-14. *co-first authors, #co-corresponding authors
12. Galletta BJ*, Guillen RX*, Fagerstrom CJ, Brownlee CW, Lerit DA, Megraw TL, Rogers GC, Rusan NM. (2014) Drosophila Pericentrin requires interaction with Calmodulin for its function at centrosomes and neuronal basal bodies, but not at sperm basal bodies. Mol Biol Cell. 2014 Jul 16. *co-first author
11. Galletta BJ, Carlsson AE, Cooper JA. (2012) Molecular analysis of Arp2/3 complex activation in cells. Biophys J. 103 (10):2145-56.
10. Mooren OL*, Galletta BJ*, Cooper JA. (2012) Roles for actin assembly in endocytosis. Annu Rev Biochem. 81:661-86. *co-first author
9. Galletta BJ, Mooren OL, Cooper JA. (2010) Actin dynamics and endocytosis in yeast and mammals. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 21(5):604-10.
8. Lin MC, Galletta BJ, Sept D, Cooper JA. (2010) Overlapping and distinct functions for cofilin, coronin and Aip1 in actin dynamics in vivo. J Cell Sci. 123(Pt 8):1329-42.
7. Galletta BJ, Cooper JA. (2009) Actin and endocytosis: mechanisms and phylogeny. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 21(1):20-7.
6. Galletta BJ, Chuang DY, Cooper JA. (2008) Distinct roles for Arp2/3 regulators in actin assembly and endocytosis. PLoS Biol. 6(1):e1.
5. Kim K*, Galletta BJ*, Schmidt KO, Chang FS, Blumer KJ, Cooper JA. (2006) Actin-based motility during endocytosis in budding yeast. Mol Biol Cell. 17(3):1354-63. *co-first author
4. Galletta BJ, Chakravarti M, Banerjee R, Abmayr SM. (2004) SNS: Adhesive properties, localization requirements and ectodomain dependence in S2 cells and embryonic myoblasts. Mech Dev. 121(12):1455-68.
3. Abmayr SM, Balagopalan L, Galletta BJ, Hong SJ. (2003) Cell and molecular biology of myoblast fusion. Int Rev Cytol. 225:33-89.
2. Galletta BJ, Niu XP, Erickson MR, Abmayr SM. (1999) Identification of a Drosophila homologue to vertebrate Crk by interaction with MBC. Gene.228(1-2):243-52
1. Erickson MR, Galletta BJ, Abmayr SM. (1999) Drosophila myoblast city encodes a conserved protein that is essential for myoblast fusion, dorsal closure, and cytoskeletal organization. J Cell Biol. 138(3):589-603.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
1. Abmayr, S.M., Balagopalan, L., Galletta, B.J. and Hong, S. (2005) Myogenesis and Muscle Development. In: Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science. (Gilbert, L.I., Iatrou, K., Gill, S.S., eds.). Elsevier, New York. Vol. 2, pp. 1-44.
INVITED SEMINARS
2019 Workshop on Chromosome Biology, NCI Center for Excellence in Chromosome Biology, Bethesda, MD
2018 Triangle Cytoskeleton Meeting, ASCB regional meeting, Saxapahaw, NC
2016 The Chicago Cytoskeleton meeting, Chicago, IL.
2014 The 54th annual ASCB meeting, Philadelphia, PA. Special interest group: Positioning the MTOC: A matter of life or death
2014 The 3rd Centrosome and Spindle Pole Body EMBO meeting, Lisbon, Portugal
2014 University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Denver, CO
2014 The 1st annual NIH Centrosome and Cilia Guild, Frederick, MD
2014 The 12th annual NHLBI Division of Intramural Research Scientific Retreat, Bethesda, MD
2014 The 55th annual Drosophila Research Conference, San Diego, CA. Workshop: Centrosomes and Cilia in Cell Division and Disease
2010 Gordon Research Conference: Plant and Microbial Cytoskeleton, Andover, NH.
2007 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meeting: Yeast Cell Biology, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
2003 Midwest Regional Developmental Biology Annual Meeting, Kansas City, MO
2002 American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Special Interest Subgroup: Cell-Cell Fusion
OF NOTE
2025 Outstanding Mentor Award, NHLBI annual retreat
2024 Outstanding Poster, NHLBI annual retreat
2020 Orloff Science Award, NHLBI, “For using micro-computed tomography to explore brain development and model human disease”
2019 Best talk award, Staff Scientist category, NHLBI annual retreat
2017-2020 NHLBI Career Transition Award (K22). – $747,000 direct costs
2012 Outstanding Fellow Poster, 10th National Heart Lung and Blood, Department of Intramural Research Scientific Retreat Ocean City, MD
2007 NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F32)