Publications

We have identified integrin beta 6 (Itgb6) as a transcript highly enriched in skeletal muscle. This finding is unexpected because Itgb6 is typically associated with epithelial expression domains in normal tissue. Further we find that ITGB6 protein expression in muscle is post-transcriptionally regulated. Uninjured muscle expresses Itgb6 RNA but no ITGB6 protein is detectable. Muscle injury induces ITGB6 protein accumulation rapidly post-injury in myofibers adjacent to the site of injury.

Colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease at the histomorphological, clinical and molecular level. Approximately 20% of cases may progress through the "serrated" pathway characterized by BRAF mutation and high-level CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (CIMP). A large subgroup are additionally microsatellite instable (MSI) and demonstrate significant loss of tumor suppressor Cdx2. The aim of this study is to determine the specificity of Cdx2 protein expression and CpG promoter hypermethylation for BRAF(V600E) and high-level CIMP in colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE:

To elucidate molecular pathways contributing to metastatic cancer progression and poor clinical outcome in serous ovarian cancer.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:

Premise of the study: A novel branched DNA detection technology, RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH), originally developed for use on human clinical and animal tissues, was adapted for use in plant tissue in an attempt to overcome some of the limitations associated with traditional ISH assays.

Heterotrimeric G-proteins modulate many processes essential for embryonic development including cellular proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival. Although most research has focused on identifying the roles of the various αsubtypes, there is growing recognition that similarly divergent βγ dimers also regulate these processes. In this paper, we show that targeted disruption of the mouse Gng5 gene encoding the γ5 subtype produces embryonic lethality associated with severe head and heart defects.

Over 80% of sexual HIV-1 transmissions originate from a single viral variant, but the underlying basis for this transmission bottleneck remains to be elucidated. Nonhuman primate models of mucosal virus transmission allow opportunities to gain insight into the basis of this mucosal bottleneck. We used simulated inocula consisting of either non-infectious vital dye or contrast dye with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize mucosal exposure and passive lymphatic drainage patterns following vaginal and rectal exposures in Indian origin rhesus macaques.

Resistance to adverse environmental conditions, such as hypoxia, contributes to the reduced efficacy of anticancer therapies and tumor progression. Although deregulated expression of many long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) occurs in human cancers, the contribution of such RNA to tumor responses to hypoxia are unknown. RNA expression profiling identified several hypoxia-responsive lncRNAs, including the long intergenic noncoding RNA, regulator of reprogramming (linc-RoR), which is also increased in expression in malignant liver cancer cells.

Migration and anchorage of nuclei within developing and adult tissues rely on Linkers of the Nucleoskeleton to the Cytoskeleton (LINC complexes). These macromolecular assemblies span the nuclear envelope and physically couple chromatin and nuclear lamina to cytoplasmic cytoskeletal networks. LINC complexes assemble within the perinuclear space through direct interactions between the respective evolutionary-conserved SUN and KASH domains of Sun proteins, which reside within the inner nuclear membrane, and Nesprins, which reside within the outer nuclear membrane.

NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species, such as H2O2, are part of the intestinal innate immune system but may drive carcinogenesis through DNA damage. We sought to identify the predominant enzyme system capable of producing H2O2 in active ulcerative colitis and assess whether it is affected by 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA).
METHODS:

Viral pathogens have been implicated in the development of certain cancers including human papillomavirus (HPV) in squamous cell carcinoma and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in Burkitt's lymphoma. The significance of viral pathogens in brain tumors is controversial, and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been associated with glioblastoma (GBM) in some but not all studies, making the role of HCMV unclear.