IBP Welcomes Dr. Xiaodong Cheng & Lab · Xiaodong, Fang and the rest of the Cheng laboratory join...

1 Integrative Biology & Pharmacology Spring 2013

Month Year • Volume II Issue 3 http://ibp.med.uth.tmc.edu/

DEPARTMENTAL

NEWS & EVENTS 2 FACULTY

SPOTLIGHT 4 STUDENT

AWARDS &

ACTIVITIES 8

RESEARCH

CORNER 9 CALENDAR 10 IN THIS ISSUE

We welcome to the department Dr. Xiaodong Cheng and members of his laboratory. Dr. Cheng received his bachelor’s degree at Peking University in Beijing, China and his master’s degree in Shanghai before coming to Texas to obtain his PhD at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston (UTMB). Xiaodong did his postdoctoral work with Dr. Susan Taylor at UC San Diego and then returned to UTMB in 1999 to start his own

laboratory. Xiaodong is accompanied by his wife, Dr. Fang Mei who has been a constant source of support throughout his career. Xiaodong and Fang have known each other since high school, but it wasn’t until they reunited in Beijing that they began dating and eventually married. Fang received her medical degree in Beijing and has worked as a Research Scientist for over 20 years. She began working with Xiaodong soon after he started his own lab in Galveston and is a co-author on many of his manuscripts. Xiaodong and Fang have two children; a daughter Lulu who is working for DropBox and a son Denise who is currently a student at the University of Texas in Austin. Other members of the Cheng group include Drs. Hui Wang (postdoctoral fellow with a PhD from the University of Wyoming) and Yingmin Zhu (Research Associate who obtained his PhD at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences) and two graduate students Yaohua Hu and Muayad Almahariq. Mr. Almahariq is an MD/PhD student that is currently funded by the Training Program in

Pharmacological Sciences.

The Cheng laboratory is well-known for their work on

the cAMP-dependent Rap exchanger named Epac. His

group showed that although Epac and PKA are

activated by the same second messenger, they often

exert opposing physiological effects. His lab has been

the first to examine the protein dynamics by deuterium

exchange mass spectroscopy and to identify novel

Epac selective inhibitors. Most recently, they have

developed Epac1 knockout mice to show roles for the

enzyme in diabetes and leptin signaling, and have

identified a potential use of Epac inhibitors in the

treatment of fatal rickettsioses. We are thrilled to have

Xiaodong, Fang and the rest of the Cheng laboratory

join the department and look forward to many fruitful

collaborations.

Dr. Cheng and his lab will have an open house on

Thursday, January 16th in MSB 4.410 from 4-5PM. All

are welcome to stop by and say hello!

IBP Welcomes Dr. Xiaodong Cheng & Lab Carmen Dessauer, Ph.D.

Xiaodong Cheng, Ph.D.

Professor


Did you know the application used for managing Windows updates and Software deployments from Microsoft SCCM 2007-2012 has been

upgraded? It was a two-step process completed January 9-10. If you have not rebooted your computer, please do so.

Did you know

that the TMC

Library provides

training of all

kinds? Classes

are available for PubMed, RefWorks,

tracking citation rates and HTML. Check

out the website for more information.

Did you know Dr. Ilya and Kandice

Levental had a new baby recently? Emily

Lena Levantal was born in early October.

Did you know the SECC

Bake Sale here in the

department brought in

about $200? The direct

contributions totaled about

$500.

Did you know the Medical

School is switching to Word

Press to edit websites? Lisa

Byrd, who is responsible for

keeping the IBP website

updated, attended a meeting

on the use of Word Press and hopes to

have the website transitioned by the end

of January.

Did you know this newsletter is always in

search of a good story? Please send your

achievements—stories about your new

research award, recent publications,

honors/awards—to Anne Dybala.

The IBP Newsletter is published

quarterly by the department and

distributed to faculty, staff and

students. An electronic copy is

available on the IBP website at

http://ibp.med.uth.tmc.edu/

Chair, IBP

Dr. John Hancock Vice Chair, IBP Dr. Roger O’Neil Director of Management Services Monica Gardner Editor Anne Dybala Please contact any of our dedicated staff for whatever assistance you may require: Catrina Stevens Administrative Coordinator [email protected] 713.500.7536 Deborah Brougher Sr. Contracts & Grants Specialist [email protected] 713.500.6322 Lisa Byrd Senior Administrative Coordinator [email protected] 713.500.7508 Sandy Cegielski Senior Administrative Coordinator [email protected] 713.500.7514 Cordelia Conley Administrative Assistant III [email protected] 713.500.7459 Anne Dybala Administrative Services Officer III [email protected] 713.500.7502 Monica Gardner Director, Management Operations [email protected] 713.500.7516 Trish McFarland Coordinator I, Educational Programs [email protected] 713.500.5470 Naomi Pinkney Sr. Executive Assistant [email protected] 713.500.7547

Departmental News & Events

http://resource.library.tmc.edu/cf/cls/calendar.cfm


New Members of the Team

Departmental News & Events

Muayad Almahariq

Visiting Student

Trainee

Dr. Cheng

Dr. Xiaodong Cheng

Professor

Sabari Arcot

Pre-Baccalaureate

Trainee

Dr. Denicourt

Yaohua Hu

Visiting Student

Trainee

Dr. Cheng

Susann Elder-

Childress

Visiting Scientist

Dr. Lichtenberger

Michael McCarthy

Graduate Research

Assistant

Dr. Loose

Fang Mei

Assistant Professor

Courtney Olsen

GSBS Graduate

Research Assistant

Dr. Schonbrunn

Yisel Rivera-Molina

Postdoctoral

Research Fellow

Dr. Berdeaux

Huai-Rong Luo

Visiting Scientist

Dr. Zhu

Hui Wang

Postdoctoral

Research Fellow

Dr. Cheng

David Waters

Research Technician

Dr. Lichtenberger

Zhong Wen

Visiting Scientist

Dr. Zhu

Emily Stockenbojer

Research Technician

Dr. Levental


In an exemplary illustration of the collaborative spirit of the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, the laboratories of Dr. Levental, Dr. Hancock, and Drs. Dial and Lichtenberger have combined

forces for a recent publication showing interesting effects of bile acids on plasma membrane lateral organization. The collaboration was kindled by Drs. Lichtenberger’s and Dial’s previous work showing that unconjugated bile acids were both cytotoxic and disruptive of synthetic model membranes. Dr. Levental’s favorite model system – the Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles – represented the ideal extension of this work, filling the gap between the relatively complex cellular systems and the fully synthetic, but experimental tractable, model membranes. As expected, cytotoxic concentrations of bile acids dissolved isolated plasma membranes, definitively validating Dr Lichtenberger’s long-standing hypothesis that the mechanism of bile acid-induced cell damage is plasmalemmal disruption.

However, a wholly unexpected effect occurred at much smaller bile acid concentrations… both common unconjugated bile acids (cholic and deoxycholic) dramatically increased the stability of lipid raft domains in isolated plasma membranes. With colleagues from Dresden, Germany, Dr. Levental characterized this effect and found it to be dependent on specific intercalation of the bile components into non-raft domains.

A (metaphorical) high-energy hallway collision between Dr Yong Zhou (the primary and co-corresponding author) and Drs Levental and Lichtenberger led to a discussion that illuminated the in vivo relevance of these observations. Independently,

Dr. Zhou (with CRB graduate students Kelsey Maxwell and Mariya Lu) had been characterizing the effects of bile acids on Ras nanoclustering in intact cell membranes and finding specific effects on the organization and signaling of the K-Ras isoform. The missing piece of the puzzle was the demonstration that bile acids had the capability of potentiating growth factor-induced oncogenic signaling through K-Ras, weaving a narrative thread from synthetic lipid membranes through to cancer.

This work was accepted for publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and selected for the cover of the Dec. 13

th issue. Congratulations to all

involved and thanks to the wonderful colleagues in IBP for fostering the collegial spirit of that makes such fruitful collaborations possible.

Collaboration Invasion Ilya Levental, Ph.D.

Faculty Spotlight

Welcome Emily

Lena Levental!


This course is meant to provide students with a basic foundation in eukaryotic cell biology. It is offered every year in the Fall and typically enrolls about 20 students from the GSBS and the Texas A&M IBT program. For the GSBS it fulfills the “Cellular” breadth requirement. It is a team taught course with approximately 18 instructors who are generally experts in their lecture topics. The course covers four main areas, including cellular organization, structure and nuclear functions, protein/lipid synthesis and vesicle trafficking, cellular interactions with the environment, and cell growth and development. The curriculum progresses in complexity so that by the end of the course a student will have gained a fundamental understanding of how eukaryotic cells function as individual units and in the context of a multicellular organism. The specific lectures change from year to year based on instructors’ availability. In addition to the lectures, students participate in three separate journal club sessions covering 6 papers selected by instructors. The journal clubs allow the students to cover relevant topics in greater depth and to practice their analytical and presentation skills. I have had the pleasure of directing this course for the past 5 years and I find that it offers me a wonderful chance to get to know the students and to interact with a great set of instructors.

Cell Biology ~ GS04 0013 Jeff Frost


Brand CS, Hocker HJ, Gorfe AA, Cavasotto CN, Dessauer CW. Isoform selectivity of adenylyl cyclase

inhibitors: characterization of known and novel compounds. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2013 Nov; 347(2): 265

-75.

Gong B, Shelite T, Mei F, Ha T, Xu G, Chang Q, Hu Y, Wakamiya M, Ksiazek TG, Boor PJ, Bouyer R,

Popov V, Chen J, Walker DH, Cheng X. Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP plays critical role in

fatal rickettsioses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Nov 26;110(48):19615-20.

Almahariq M, Mei F, Cheng X. Cyclic AMP Sensor EPAC Proteins and Energy Homeostasis. Trends

Endocrinol Metab. In Press.

Chen H, Wild C, Zhou X, Ye N, Cheng X, Zhou J. Recent Advances in the Discovery of Small Molecules

Targeting Exchange Proteins Directly Activated by cAMP (EPAC). J. Med. Chem. In press.

Zhou Y, Maxwell KN, Sezgin E, Lu M, Liang H, Hancock JF, Dial EJ, Lichtenberger LM, Levental I.

Bile acids modulate signaling by functional perturbation of plasma membrane domains. J Biol Chem. 2013

Dec 13;288(50):35660-70. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.519116. Epub 2013 Oct 28.

Yin S, Luo J, Qian A, Yu W, Hu H. LE135, a retinoid acid receptor antagonist, produces pain through

direct activation of TRP channels. Br J Pharmacol. 2013 Dec 6. doi: 10.1111/bph.12543. [Epub ahead of

print].

Luo J, Walters ET, Carlton SM and Hu H. (2013). Targeting Pain-evoking Transient Receptor Potential

Channels for the Treatment of Pain. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2013 Dec; 11 (6): 652 – 663.

Yin S*, Luo J*, Qian A, Du J, Yang Q, Zhou S, Yu W, Du G, Clark RB, Walters ET, Carlton SM, Hu H.

Retinoids activate the irritant receptor TRPV1 and produce sensory hypersensitivity. J Clin Invest. 2013

Sep 3; 123(9):3941-51.

Mamenko M, Zaika O, Pochynyuk O. Direct regulation of ENaC by Bradykinin in the distal nephron.

Implications for renal sodium handling. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2013 ec 27 (Epub ahead of print).

Mamenko M, Zaika O, Prieto MC, Jensen VB, Doris PA, Navar LG, Pochynyuk O. Chronic Ang II

infusion drives extensive aldosterone-independent ENaC activation. Hypertension. 2013 Dec; 62(6):1111-

22.

Zaika OL, Mamenko M, Palygin O, Boukelmoune N, Staruschenko A, Pochynyuk O. Direct inhibition of

basolateral Kir4.1/5.1 and Kir4.1 channels in the cortical collecting duct by dopamine. Am J Physiol Renal

Physiol. 2013 Nov 1; 305(9): F1277-87.

Ganguly A, Yang H, Cabral F. Detection and quantification of microtubule detachment from centrosomes

and spindle poles. Methods Cell Biol. 2013;115:49-62.

Yin S, Zheng C, Hari M., Cabral F. Paclitaxel resistance by random mutagenesis of α-tubulin.

Cytoskeleton (Hoboken). 2013 Dec; 70, 849-862.

Ganguly A, Yang H, Zhang H, Cabral F, Patel KD. Microtubule dynamics control tail retraction in migrating

vascular endothelial cells. Mol. Cancer Ther. 2013 Dec; 12(12), 2837-46.

P

ub

lic

ati

on

s

http://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ezproxyhost.library.tmc.edu/pubmed/?term=24006339







http://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ezproxyhost.library.tmc.edu/pubmed/24165125



http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cn/2013/00000011/00000006/art00008

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cn/2013/00000011/00000006/art00008














Reubi JC, Schonbrunn A. Illuminating somatostatin analog action at neuroendocrine tumor receptors.

Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Dec; 34(12): 676 – 88.

Akhmedov D, Berdeaux R. The effects of obesity on skeletal muscle regeneration. Front Physiol. 2013

Dec 17; 4: 371.

Fu J, Akhmedov D, Berdeaux R. The short isoform of the ubiquitin ligase NEDD4L is a CREB target gene

in hepatocytes. PLoS ONE. 2013 Oct 17;8(10): e78522.

Clark RI, Tan S, Péan CB, Roostalu U, Vivancos V, Bronda K, Pilátová M, Fu J, Walker DW, Berdeaux R,

Geissmann F, Dionne MS. Mef2 is an in vivo immune-metabolic switch. Cell. 2013 Oct 10;155(2): 435-47.

Feng Z, Ziqing W, Lu M, Yonekubo Y, Liang X, Zhang Y, Wu P, Zhou Y, Grinstein S, Hancock JF, Du G;

Temporal Production of the Signaling Lipid Phosphatidic Acid by Phospholipase D2 Determines the

Output of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling in Cancer Cells, Mol Cell Biol, 2014 Jan;

34(1):84-95.

Tian J, Thakur DP, Lu Y, Zhu Y, Freichel M, Flockerzi V, Zhu MX, Dual depolarization responses

generated within the same lateral septal neurons by TRPC4-containing channels; Pflugers Arch. 2013 Oct

13. [Epub ahead of print].

Feng X, Huang Y, Lu Y, Xiong J, Wong CO, Yang P, Xia J, Chen D, Du G, Venkatachalam K, Xia X,

Zhu MX, Drosophila TRPML forms PI(3,5)P2-activated cation channels in both endolysosomes and

plasma membrane, J Biol Chem. 2013 Dec 27. [Epub ahead of print].

P

ub

lic

ati

on

s













Cell & Regulatory

Biology program

students Cameron

Brand from the

Dessauer lab and

Harrison Hocker of the

Gorfe lab were recently

first and second

authors on a publication in the Journal of Pharmacology

and Experimental Therapeutics (JPET) characterizing

known and novel adenylyl cyclase inhibitors. Adenylyl

cyclase signaling, through production of the second

messenger cyclic AMP, has function in cardiac muscle

among its various physiological roles. Adenylyl cyclase

inhibitors had been used extensively to explore these

roles despite previously incomplete characterization.

The more detailed profiling of these inhibitors clarified

genetic and pharmacological model inconsistencies for

adenylyl cyclase isoform 5 and 6 signaling specific to

congestive heart failure. For primarily this reason, the

article was highlighted by the journal JPET and selected

for recommendation in the Faculty of 1000 Prime

service, a directory of highly rated peer-reviewed

articles. Cameron Brand was also second-author on an

additional JPET publication that identified novel adenylyl

cyclase isoform 2 inhibitors in collaboration with Dr. Val

Watt’s laboratory at Purdue. This work was supported

in part by Cameron’s and Harrison’s fellowships from

the Training Program in Pharmacological Sciences.

Students Publish in Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Student Awards & Activities

Cameron Brand Harrison Hocker

Cameron Brand was recently awarded

the Harry S. and Isabel C. Cameron

Foundation Fellowship. This fellowship

is awarded yearly through GSBS to a

student doing research related to

cardiovascular (or Alzheimer’s)

disease. This fellowship will support

Cameron’s project to explore isoform

specific adenylyl cyclase signaling in

the context of cardiac function.

Dhananjay Thakur was awarded a

scholarship by the Graduate School of

Biomedical Sciences. Deans Michael

Blackburn and Michelle Barton

awarded Dhananjay the Investing in

Student Futures Scholarship for 2013-

2014. He received the scholarship

from the Priscilla Saunders

Endowment. The scholarship is

intended to help an exceptional GSBS

graduate student who is making

excellent progress towards his degree. Dhananjay was

selected from a highly competitive field of over 80

applicants.

Students Win Fellowship & Scholarship

Cameron Brand Dhananjay Thakur


Dr. Carmen Dessauer. National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Regulation of Adenylyl Cyclase

Signaling Pathways. 9/20/2013-5/31/2017.

Dr. Hongzhen Hu. TIRR Foundation. Targeting the TRPV4 Channel to Suppress Cellular Inflammation &

Improve Locomotor & Gastrointestinal Motility Dysfunction in Spinal Cord Injury. 9/1/2013-10/15/2014.

Dr. Agi Schonbrunn. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals Inc. Biased Agonism in GPCR Drug Discovery:

Application to Somatostatin Agonists. 9/1/2013-8/31/2014.

Dr. Terry Walters. Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Contributions of Inflammatory Mediators in

Chronic SCI. 7/1/2013-6/30/2014.

Dr. Qing Yang. Novel Target for Preventing & Ameliorating Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathic Pain.

12/1/2013-5/16/2015.

Drs. Grill and Walters had three federal continuations this quarter.

Twenty-five proposals were submitted by the Department of Integrative

Biology & Pharmacology in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2014 by Drs.

Berdeaux, Breton, Chang, Cheng, Denicourt, Dessauer, Du, Grill,

Hancock, Lichtenberger, Loose, Pochynyuk, Tian, Venkatachalam, and

Yang.

Five proposals were awarded this quarter along with three federal

continuations. Faculty receiving awards include Drs. Dessauer, Grill, Hu,

Schonbrunn, Walters and Yang. The success rate for awards is approximately 32% so far this year.

~Data provided by Deborah Brougher, Sr. Grants and Contracts Specialist

New Awards Awards received during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2014 include:

R

es

ea

rc

h C

or

ne

r

Proposals & Awards Anne Dybala & Deborah Brougher

Awards Received FY2014 1st QTR

# Rec'd Federal Private State Total

5 1,319,279.00 1,319,279.00

3 130,183.00 130,183.00

8 1,319,279.00 130,183.00 - 1,449,462.00

Proposals Submitted FY2014 1st QTR

#

Submitted Federal Private State Total

20 22,869,546.00 22,869,546.00

5 2,132,108.00 2,132,108.00

25 22,869,546.00 2,132,108.00 - 25,001,654.00


IBP Seminar Series

~Directed by Drs. Shane Cunha and Kartik Venkatachalam

January 13, 2014

Penney Gilbert, Ph.D.

Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical

Engineering

University of Toronto

Bioengineering Strategies to Maintain

Skeletal Muscle Health Throughout Life

Host: Ilya Levental, Ph.D.

January 27, 2014

Rolf Konig, Ph.D.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

University of Texas Medical Branch

Host: Jeffrey Chang, Ph.D.

February 3, 2014

Stephen Tapscott, M.D., Ph.D.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

University of Washington School of Medicine

Regulation of gene expression in normal

muscle development and in

facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Host: Yi-Ping Li, Ph.D.

February 10, 2014

Christine Beeton, Ph.D.

Department of Physiology

Baylor College of Medicine

Targeting Potassium Channels in Chronic

Inflammatory Diseases

Host: Raymond Grill, Ph.D.

February 24, 2014

Cheryl Stucky, Ph.D.

Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology &

Anatomy

Medical College of Wisconsin

Channeling Touch and Pain Transduction:

Mechanisms that Detect and Project

Host: Hongzhen Hu, Ph.D.

March 3, 2014

Gilbert Di Paolo, Ph.D.

Department of Pathology and Cell Biology

Columbia University Medical Center

Host: Guangwei Du, Ph.D.

March 10, 2014

Marco Sardiello, Ph.D.

Department of Molecular and Human

Genetics


Host: Kartik Venkatachalam, Ph.D.

March 17, 2014

John Hancock, Bchir, Ph.D., Sc.D.

Department of Integrative Biology and

Pharmacology

University of Texas, Medical School, Houston


March 24, 2014

Yubin Zhou, Ph.D.

Institute of Biosciences & Technology

Texas A&M Health Science Center

Host: Michael Zhu, Ph.D.

March 31, 2014

Edgar T. Walters, Ph.D.

Department of Integrative Biology and

Pharmacology

University of Texas, Medical School, Houston


Seminars are held on Mondays at 4:00 PM in MSB 2.135, unless otherwise

noted. For information and questions, please contact Catrina Stevens at

[email protected] or


IBP Seminar Series

~Directed by Drs. Shane Cunha and Kartik Venkatachalam

April 7, 2014

Boyi Gan, Ph.D.

Department of Experimental Radiation

Oncology

MD Anderson

Host: Guangwei Du, Ph.D.

April 14, 2014

Kevin Phillips, Ph.D.

Diabetes & Metabolic Disease Program

The Methodist Hospital Research Institute

Host: Rebecca Berdeaux, Ph.D.

April 21, 2014

Andrew Gladden, Ph.D.

Department of Genetics

MD Anderson

Host: Catherine Denicourt, Ph.D.

April 28, 2014

Matthias Buck, Ph.D.

Department of Pharmacology

Case Western Reserve University

Host: Alemayehu Gorfe, Ph.D.

May 5, 2014

Hoang Nguyen, Ph.D.

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology


Host: Shane Cunha

May 12, 2014

Shawn Burgess, Ph.D.

Developmental Genomics Section

National Human Genome Research Institute

Host: Ghislain Breton

May 19, 2014

Timo Rieg, M.D.

Department of Medicine

University of California San Diego

Host: Oleh Pochynyuk

Seminars are held on Mondays at 4:00 PM in MSB 2.135, unless otherwise noted. For information

and questions, please contact Catrina Stevens at [email protected] or

713-500-7536.


Administrative Staff Meetings, 2:30-3:30 PM, MSB

4.136

January 14; February 11; March 11;

April 8; May 13

CRB Meetings, 12-1 PM, Room 4.100

February 6; March 6; April 3

Faculty Coffee/Tea, 10-11 AM, MSB 4.100

January 15, 22, 29; February 5, 12, 19,

26; March 5, 12, 19, 26; April 2, 9, 16, 23,

30

Journal Club, 3-5PM, MSB 4.100

January 23; February 6, 20; March 6, 20;

April 3, 17

STG Seminar, 4-5 PM, MSB 4.100

January 15, 22, 29; February 5, 12, 19,

26; March 5, 12, 19, 26;

April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Dates to Remember:

January 20: Martin Luther King Day

February 2: Groundhog Day

February 14: Valentine’s Day

February 17: President’s Day-The

University will be closed for Official

Business

March 9: Daylight Savings Time

Begins-Turn your clocks forward one

hour!

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day

April 1: April Fool’s Day

April 17-18: CRB Retreat, Camp Allen,

Navasota, TX

April 22: Earth Day

IBP Calendar of Events

CRB

IBP Welcomes Dr. Xiaodong Cheng & Lab · Xiaodong, Fang and the rest of the Cheng laboratory join...

Documents

Transcript of IBP Welcomes Dr. Xiaodong Cheng & Lab · Xiaodong, Fang and the rest of the Cheng laboratory join...