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Research Interest:
Mitochondria are critical organelles that provide energy for cellular activities. In addition, they are involved in redox and metabolic regulation, maintenance of calcium homeostasis, and fatty acid oxidation. Mitochondria dynamically fuse and divide within cells and the balance of two opposite processes helps maintain proper mitochondrial function, morphology, and cellular distribution. Alterations in mitochondrial fusion and fission have been shown to affect a wide variety of cellular processes such as cell division, chemotaxis, dendrite development and pathogenic processes such as apoptosis, autophagy, aging, and neurodegeneration.
The principal focus of research aim in my lab is towards understanding mitochondrial fission and fusion. We use a wide range of approaches, including genetic, biochemical, molecular and cellular biology tools in different model systems to investigate the regulatory pathway of mitochondria fusion and fission. The molecular mechanisms of the two processes and the role of mitochondrial dynamics in different physiological conditions are under extensive investigation. Our long-term goals are to use these insights from model systems to enhance our understanding of mitochondria dynamics and its role in neurodegenerative diseases.
Selected Publications:
- Chang CR, Manlandro CM, Arnoult D, Stadler J, Posey AE, Hill RB, Blackstone
C. (2010) A lethal de novo mutation in the middle domain of the dynamin-
related GTPase Drp1 impairs higher-order assembly and mitochondrial
division. J Biol Chem. 2010 Oct 15;285(42):32494-503. Epub 2010 Aug 9.
- Chang CR, Blackstone C. (2010) Dynamic regulation of mitochondrial fission
through modification of the dynamin-related protein Drp1. Ann N Y Acad Sci.
2010 Jul;1201:34-9. Review.
- Figueroa-Romero C, Iniguez-Lluh JA, Stadler J, Chang C.R., Arnoult D, Keller PJ, Hong Y, Blackstone C, Feldman EL. (2009) SUMOylation of the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 occurs at multiple nonconsensus sites within the B domain and is linked to its activity cycle. FASEB J., 2009 Nov;23(11): p. 3917-27. Epub 2009 Jul 28.
- Cereghetti GM, Stangherlin A, Martins de Brito O, Chang CR, Blackstone C, Bernardi P, Scorrano L. (2008) Dephosphorylation by calcineurin regulates translocation of Drp1 to mitochondria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U. S. A. 2008 Oct 14;105(41):15803-8. Epub 2008 Oct 6.
- Chang CR, Blackstone CD. (2007) Drp1 phosphorylation and mitochondrial regulation. EMBO Reports. 8, 1088-9.
- Chang CR, Blackstone CD. (2007) Cyclic-AMP-dependant protein kinase phosphorylation of Drp1 regulates its GTPase activity and mitochondrial morphology. J Biol Chem. 282, 21583-7.
- Chang CR, Wu. CS, Hom Y, Gartenberg MR. (2005) Targeting of cohesion by transcriptionally silent chromatin. Genes & Development 19, 3031-42.
- Cheng TH, Chang CR, Joy P, Yablok S, Gartenberg MR. (2000) Controlling gene expression in yeast by inducible site-specific recombination. Nucleic Acids Research. 28, E108.
- Ho YS, Lee HM, Chang CR, Lin JK. (1999) Induction of Bax protein and degradation of lamin A during p53-dependant apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic agents in human cancer cell lines. Biochem Pharmacol. 57, 143-54.
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