Linda Susan Musil, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine
  • Professor of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine
  • Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, School of Medicine
  • Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine

Biography

We are currently investigating the signal transduction pathways whereby growth factors including FGF, BMP, and TGFβ regulate the fate and function of lens cells both in normal development and in disease.  We are particularly interested in posterior capsule opacification (PCO), the most common (90,000 - 300,000 new cases annually in the U.S.) vision-disrupting complication of cataract surgery.  PCO is caused by abnormal differentiation, proliferation, and migration of lens cells remaining after cataract surgery.  We have discovered that certain compounds in current clinical use against cancer block multiple PCO-causing processes in our primary lens cell system, and have developed methods to deliver these drugs from the artificial lenses that are implanted during cataract surgery.  We are very excited about translating our findings into a human therapeutic with the potential to preserve the vision of millions worldwide.  We are also interested in continuing our studies on the biosynthesis, assembly, and degradation of gap junction in the lens and other organs.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.S., 1980, Duke University
    • Ph.D., 1987, Washington University School of Medicine
  • Fellowship

    • Postdoctoral Fellow (Laboratory of JP Merlie, Ph.D.) Department of Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine
    • Postdoctoral Fellow (Laboratory of DA Goodenough, Ph.D.) Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Harvard Medical School
    • Instructor in Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Harvard Medical School

Memberships and associations:

  • International Society for Eye Research
  • Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Areas of interest

  • Prevention of blinding complications of cataract surgery

Publications

Publications

  • TGFβ overcomes FGF-induced transinhibition of EGFR in lens cells to enable fibrotic secondary cataract

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Judy K. VanSlyke
    2. Bruce A. Boswell
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Tonic ErbB signaling underlies TGFβ-induced activation of ERK and is required for lens cell epithelial to myofibroblast transition

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Judy K. VanSlyke
    2. Bruce A. Boswell
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • ErbBs in Lens Cell Fibrosis and Secondary Cataract

    Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
    1. Judy K. VanSlyke
    2. Bruce A. Boswell
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • LMTK3 is essential for oncogenic KIT expression in KIT-mutant GIST and melanoma

    Oncogene
    1. Lillian R. Klug
    2. Amber E. Bannon
    3. Nathalie Javidi-Sharifi
    4. Ajia Town
    5. William H. Fleming
    6. Judy K. VanSlyke
    7. Linda S. Musil
    8. Jonathan A. Fletcher
    9. Jeffrey W. Tyner
    10. Michael C. Heinrich
  • Fibronectin regulates growth factor signaling and cell differentiation in primary lens cells

    Journal of Cell Science
    1. Judy K. VanSlyke
    2. Bruce A. Boswell
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Identification of Novel Gata3 Distal Enhancers Active in Mouse Embryonic Lens

    Developmental Dynamics
    1. Elena Martynova
    2. Maxime Bouchard
    3. Linda S. Musil
    4. Ales Cvekl
  • Dual function of TGFβ in lens epithelial cell fate

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Bruce A. Boswell
    2. Anna Korol
    3. Judith A. West-Mays
    4. Linda S. Musil
  • Regulation of c-Maf and αA-Crystallin in ocular lens by fibroblast growth factor signaling

    Journal of Biological Chemistry
    1. Qing Xie
    2. Rebecca McGreal
    3. Raven Harris
    4. Chun Y. Gao
    5. Wei Liu
    6. Lixing W. Reneker
    7. Linda S. Musil
    8. Ales Cvekl
  • Synergistic interaction between the fibroblast growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathways in lens cells

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Bruce A. Boswell
    2. Linda S. Musil
  • Primary cultures of embryonic chick lens cells as a model system to study lens gap junctions and fiber cell differentiation

    Journal of Membrane Biology
    1. Linda S. Musil
  • Point/counterpoint

    Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
    1. Paul J. Donaldson
    2. Linda S. Musil
    3. Richard T. Mathias
  • Point/Counterpoint

    Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
    1. Paul J. Donaldson
    2. Linda S. Musil
    3. Richard T. Mathias
  • Regulation of lens gap junctions by transforming growth factor beta

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Bruce A. Boswell
    2. Judy K. VanSlyke
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Conformational maturation and post-er multisubunit assembly of gap junction proteins

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Judy K. VanSlyke
    2. Christian C. Naus
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Upregulation and maintenance of gap junctional communication in lens cells

    Experimental Eye Research
    1. Bruce A. Boswell
    2. Anh Chi N. Le
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Cross-talk between fibroblast growth factor and bone morphogenetic proteins regulates gap junction-mediated intercellular communication in lens cells

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Bruce A. Boswell
    2. Pamela J. Lein
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Essential role of BMPs in FGF-induced secondary lens fiber differentiation

    Developmental Biology
    1. Bruce A. Boswell
    2. Paul A. Overbeek
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Regulation of ubiquitin-proteasome system-mediated degradation by cytosolic stress

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Sean M. Kelly
    2. Judy K. VanSlyke
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Cytosolic stress reduces degradation of connexin43 internalized from the cell surface and enhances gap junction formation and function

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Judy K. VanSlyke
    2. Linda S. Musil
  • Degradation of connexins from the plasma membrane is regulated by inhibitors of protein synthesis

    Cell Communication and Adhesion
    1. Judy K. Vanslyke
    2. Linda S. Musil
  • Dislocation and degradation from the ER are regulated by cytosolic stress

    Journal of Cell Biology
    1. Judy K. Vanslyke
    2. Linda S. Musil
  • A novel role for FGF and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in gap junction-mediated intercellular communication in the lens

    Journal of Cell Biology
    1. Anh Chi N. Le
    2. Linda S. Musil
  • Biochemical analysis of connexon assembly.

    Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
    1. J. K. VanSlyke
    2. L. S. Musil
  • FGF signaling in chick lens development

    Developmental Biology
    1. Anh Chi N. Le
    2. Linda S. Musil
  • Analysis of connexin intracellular transport and assembly

    Methods
    1. Judy K. Vanslyke
    2. Linda S. Musil
  • Intracellular transport, assembly, and degradation of wild-type and disease-linked mutant gap junction proteins

    Molecular biology of the cell
    1. Judy K. VanSlyke
    2. Suzanne M. Deschenes
    3. Linda S. Musil
  • Regulation of connexin degradation as a mechanism to increase gap junction assembly and function

    Journal of Biological Chemistry
    1. L. S. Musil
    2. A. C.N. Le
    3. J. K. VanSlyke
    4. L. M. Roberts
  • CORRELATIVE CONFOCAL AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF THE CONNEXIN43 GAP JUNCTION PROTEIN IN NRK CELLS

    Microscopy and Microanalysis
    1. Gina Sosinsky
    2. Maryann Martone
    3. Galen Handel
    4. Linda Musil
    5. Mark Ellisman
  • Normal differentiation of cultured lens cells after inhibition of gap junction-mediated intercellular communication

    Developmental Biology
    1. Anh Chi N. Le
    2. Linda S. Musil