Education

Research Interest

Atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty are the major cardiovascular problems particularly in western countries. Increased arterial smooth muscle cell growth and accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins are associated with the development of these vascular lesions. We believe that a change in the redox state of the arterial wall triggers these pathological events. Therefore, the major interest of our laboratory is to study the regulation and signal transduction mechanisms of redox-sensitive gene expression in vessel wall cells and investigate their role in atherosclerosis and neointima formation using animal models. The major techniques used in the laboratory are rat carotid artery injury, Northern blot analysis, Western blot analysis, nuclear run-on assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, 2-D gel electrophoresis, high performance liquid chromatography, tube formation assay, cell migration assay, tissue culture, transfections, immunohistochemistry, Matrigel plug angiogenesis, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, RT-PCR and molecular cloning.

Research Support

NIH 2RO1HL064165 (PI: G. N. Rao), "Eicosanoids and vascular wall remodeling", 2008-2012, $1,000,000.00
NIH 2RO1HL074860 (PI: G. N. Rao), "15-LOX-15(S)-HETE axis and angiogenesis", 2008-2012, $1,000,000.00
NIH RO1EY014856 (PI: G. N. Rao), "Eicosanoids, angiogenesis and retinopathy", 2006-2009, $750,000.00
NIH 2RO1HL069908 (PI: G.N. Rao), "NFATs and vascular injury", 2007-2011, $1,000,000.00

Selected Publications

1. Ghosh, S.K., Gadiparthi, L., Zeng, Z.Z., Bhanoori, M., Tellez, C., Bar-Eli, M. and Rao, G.N. ATF-1 mediates protease activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) but not receptor tyrosine kinase-induced DNA synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 21325-21331, 2002.
2. Yellaturu, C.R., Bhanoori, M. Neeli, I. and Rao, G.N. N-Ethylmaleimide inhibits platelet-derived growth factor BB-stimulated Akt phosphorylation via activation of protein phosphatase 2A. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 40148-40155, 2002.
3.  Zeng, Z.Z., Yellaturu, C.R., Neeli, I. and Rao, G.N. 5(S)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid stimulates DNA synthesis in human microvascular endothelial cells via activation of Jak/STAT and PI3-kinase/Akt signaling leading to induction of expression of basic fibroblast growth factor-2. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 41213-41219, 2002.
4.  Yellaturu, C.R., Ghosh, S.K., Rao, R.K., Jennings, L.K., Hassid, A. and Rao, G.N. A potential role for nuclear factor of activated T cells in receptor tyrosine kinase and G protein-coupled receptor agonist-induced cell proliferation. Biochem J. 368, 183-190, 2002.
5. Bhanoori, M., Yellaturu, C.R., Ghosh, S.K., Hassid, A., Jennings, L.K. and Rao, G.N. Thiol alkylation inhibits the mitogenic effects of platelet-derived growth factor and renders it proapoptotic via activation of STATs and p53 and induction of expression of caspase1 and p21waf1/cip1. Oncogene 22, 117-130, 2003.
6. Yellaturu, C.R. and Rao, G.N. Cytosolic phospholipase A2 is an effector of Janus-activated kinase/Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription signaling and is involved in platelet-derived growth factor BB-induced growth in vascular smooth muscle cells. J. Biol. Chem. 278, 9986-9992, 2003.
7. Yellaturu, C.R. and Rao, G.N. A requirement for calcium-independent  phospholipase A2 in thrombin-induced arachidonic acid release and growth in vascular smooth muscle cells.  J. Biol. Chem.  278, 43831-43837, 2003.
8. Neeli, I., Yellaturu, C. R. and Rao, G. N. Arachidonic acid activates translation initiation signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.  309, 755-761, 2003.
9. Liu, Z., Dronadula, N. and Rao, G. N. A novel role for nuclear factor of activated T cells in receptor tyrosine kinase and G protein-coupled receptor agonist-induced vascular smooth muscle cell motility.  J. Biol. Chem. 279, 41218-41226, 2004.
10. Neeli, I., Liu, Z., Dronadula, N., Ma, Z. A. and Rao, G. N. An essential role of Jak-2/STAT-3/cPLA2 axis in platelet-derived growth factor BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cell motility.  J. Biol. Chem. 279, 46122-46128, 2004.
11. Dronadula, N., Liu, Z., Wang, C., Cao, H. and Rao, G. N. STAT-3-dependent expression of cPLA2 is required for thrombin-induced vascular smooth muscle cell motility.  J. Biol. Chem. 280, 3112-3120, 2005.
12. Liu, Z., Zhang, C., Dronadula, N., Li, Q. and Rao, G. N. Blockade of nuclear factor of activated T cells activation signaling suppresses balloon injury-induced neointima formation in a rat carotid artery model. J. Biol. Chem. 280, 14700-14708, 2005.
13. Zhang, B. Cao, H. and Rao, G. N. 15(S)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid induces angiogenesis via activation of PI3K-Akt-mTOR-S6K1 signaling.  Cancer  Res. 65, 7283-7291, 2005.
14. Cao, H., Dronadula, N. and Rao, G. N. Thrombin induces the expression of FGF-2 via activation of PI3K-Akt-Fra-1 signaling axis leading to DNA synthesis and motility in vascular smooth muscle cells. Am. J. Physiol. 290, C172-C182, 2006.
15. Zhang, B., Cao, H. and Rao, G. N. Fibroblast growth factor-2 is a downstream mediator of PI3K-Akt signaling in 14, 15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid-induced angiogenesis.  J. Biol. Chem. 281, 905-914, 2006 .
16. Dronadula, N., Blaskova, E., Li, Q., Rizvi, F. and Rao, G. N. Involvement of cAMP response element-binding protein-1 in arachidonic acid-induced vascular smooth muscle cell motility. J. Lipid Res. 47, 774-784, 2006.
17. Cao, H., Dronadula, N., Rizvi, F., Li, Q. Srivastava, K. Gerthoffer, W. T. and Rao, G. N. Novel role for STAT-5B in the regulation of Hsp27-FGF-2 axis facilitating thrombin-induced vascular smooth muscle cell growth and motility. Circ. Res. 98, 913-922, 2006.
18. Wang, D., Liu, Z., Li, Q., Karpurapu, M., Kundumani-Sridharan, V., Cao, H., Dronadula, N., Rizvi, F., Bajpai, A.K., Zhang, C., Muller-Newen, G., Harris, K.W. and Rao, G.N. An essential role for gp130 in neointima formation following balloon injury. Circ Res. 100, 807-816 2007.
19. Srivastava, K., Kundumani-Sridharan, V., Zhang, B., Bajpai, A.K. and Rao, G.N. 15(S)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid-induced angiogenesis requires signal transducer and activator of transcription-3-dependent expression of vascular endothelial growth factor.  Cancer  Res. 67, 4328-4336, 2007.
20. Kundamani-Sridharan, V., Wang, D., Liu, Z., Zhang, C., Dronadula, N. and Rao, G. N. Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-5B in the vessel wall by balloon injury leads to cyclin D1 upregulation and neointima formation. Am J. Pathol. 171:1381-1394, 2007.