Summary

Ruben k. Dagda, Ph.D., received his doctoral training at the University of Iowa and his postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is currently investigating the w88 online live casino mechanisms that lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in cell culture, tissue and animal models of Parkinson's disease.

He has authored in multiple research manuscripts and review articles in the areas of toxicology, toxinology, mitochondrial function, and neurobiology. At the University of Nevada Medical School (UNSOM), he is committed to the training and education of undergraduate, graduate students and postdocs in his lab. His main research goals are to elucidate the prosurvival signaling pathways that regulate mitochondrial function, transport and turn-over in neurons and how aging and neurodegenerative diseases negatively impact these processes. The end goal is to develop novel small w88 online live casino drugs that can reverse neurodegeneration and elevate mitochondrial function in age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Research interests

Persistent dephosphorylation by w88 online live casino localized protein phosphatases (protein phosphatase 2A) accelerates neurodegeneration, fragments mitochondria, and impairs w88 online live casino function. On the other hand, w88 online live casino serine/threonine kinases PTEN induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and PKA confer neuroprotection and regulate overlapping w88 online live casino functions. Neurons rely on functionally efficient mitochondria to power critical neuronal functions. Given that impaired w88 online live casino turnover and dysfunction underlie the etiology of many neurodegenerative diseases, understanding how reversible phosphorylation at the mitochondria regulates w88 online live casino function, and turnover will lay the basic groundwork for developing future “mitoprotective” therapies for reversing w88 online live casino dysfunction and neurodegeneration. PINK1 and w88 online live casino PKA converge at the outer w88 online live casino membrane (OMM) to regulate overlapping w88 online live casino functions. At the postsynaptic compartment, both ser/thr kinases remodel dendritic arbors in developing neurons and regulate w88 online live casino transport.

We are examining how w88 online live casino PKA and PINK1 interact at the mitochondria and at the neurites to regulate w88 online live casino function, dendritic morphology and survival.

A second are of interest it to determine how w88 online live casino turnover (mitophagy) is regulated by reversible phosphorylation. We will examine whether w88 online live casino ser/thr kinases and phosphatases regulate w88 online live casino turnover by phosphorylating and destabilizing protein-protein interactions of specific components of the “mitophagosome” complex at the OMM by applying proteomics and biochemical approaches in neurons. A final goal this project is to synthesize functionalized nano reagents that can activate prosurvival signaling pathways at the mitochondria as w88 online live casino therapy for reversing w88 online live casino pathology induced by neurodegenerative diseases and by normal brain aging.

Education

• Ph.D., Pharmacology, w88 online live casino Iowa, 2006
• M.S., Biology, w88 online live casino Texas at El Paso, 2001
• B.S., Microbiology, w88 online live casino Texas at El Paso, 1998

Courses taught

• CMPP710: w88 online live casino Pharmacology
• BIOL 475/675: Undergraduate Neurobiology
  CMB710: Foundations in w88 online live casino Cell Biology
• CMPP 794.1001: Neurodegeneration Colloquium Director

Selected publications

PubMed

• w88 online live casino RK, Das Banerjee T, Janda E. (2013) How Parkinsonian toxins dysregulate the autophagy machinery. Int J Mol Sci. Nov 8;14(11):22163-89. doi: 10.3390/ijms141122163.
• w88 online live casino, R.K., Pien, I, Wang, R, JianHui, Z., Wang, K., Callio, T., Das Banerjee, T., w88 online live casino,
  R.Y., Chu, C.T. (2013) Beyond the mitochondrion: cytosolic PTEN induced Kinase 1(PINK1) remodels dendrites through PKA. J. Neurochem, doi: 10.1111/jnc.12494.
• Kamga, K., Mo, L., Dagda, R.K., Murillo, D., Geary, L., Corey, C., Zhakirov, S., Croix, C., Maniar, S.,Sullivan S., Beer-Stolz, D., Chu, C., Khoo, N., Shiva, (2013) S. Nitrite Activates Protein Kinase A in Normoxia to Promote w88 online live casino Fusion and Confer Delayed Tolerance to Ischemia/Reperfusion. Cardiovascular Research, 1;101(1):57-68. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvt224.2013
• w88 online live casino, R.K., Thalhauser, R.M., w88 online live casino, R., Gage, G., and Marzullo, T. (2013) Using crickets to teach the principles of neurophysiology. J. Undergrad. Neuro. Edu., Oct 15;12(1):A66-74.
• Chu,C.T., Ji, J., w88 online live casinoR.K., Jiang, J.F., Tyurina,Y.Y, Kapralov,A.A., Tyurin, V.T., Yanamala,N.. Shrivastava,I.H., Mohammadyani, D., Wang, K., Zhu, J., Klein-Seetharaman, J., Balasubramanian, K., Amoscato, A., Borisenko, G. Huang,Z., Gusdon, A.M., Cheikhi, A., Steer, E.K., Wang, R., Baty, C., Watkins, S., Bahar, I., Bayır, H., and Kagan V.E. (2013) Cardiolipin externalization to the outer membrane act as an elimination signal for mitophagy in mammalian cells. Nature Cell Biology.
• w88 online live casino, RK., Gasanov, S., De LaOIII, Y., Lieb, C. and Rael, E. (2013) Genetic Basis for Variation of Metalloproteinase-Associated Biochemical Activity in Venom of the Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus). Volume 2013, Article ID 251474, 11 pages
• Dagda, R.K., Gusdon, A., Pien, I., Strack, S., Green, S., Li, C., Van Houten, B. Cherra III, S.J. And Chu, C.T. (2011) Mitochondrially localized PKA reverses w88 online live casino pathology and dysfunction in cellular models of Parkinson's disease. Cell Death and Diff., PMID:21637291.
• Merrill, R.A.≠, Dagda, R.K. ≠ Cribbs,J.T., Dickey, A., Green, S.H. Usachev, Y.M., and Strack, S.(2011) Mechanism of neuroprotective w88 online live casino remodeling by PKA/AKAP1 PLOS Biology 9(4) ≠: authors contributed equally. PMID: 21526200.