Moshmi Bhattacharya
Assistant Professor
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PH.D. McGill University |
The Bhattacharya laboratory program is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating breast cancer cell migration and invasion, processes required for metastasis. 1. Lipid signaling in breast cancer 2. Crosstalk between GPCRs and growth-factor receptors in cancer 3. Regulation of cancer cell cytoskeleton by small GTPases Recent research has demonstrated that approaches that take into account the signaling aspects of receptor systems are essential for cancer chemotherapies. These studies will provide a better understanding of the molecular events of the metastatic process and may reveal novel molecular targets for the design of more effective therapeutics.
In Canadian women, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer, accounting for an estimated 30% of all cancer cases. The high mortality rate from breast cancer is largely due to the metastatic spread of the disease and therefore suppression of metastasis is an important issue in the treatment of the disease. However, the underlying mechanism(s) regulating metastasis are largely unknown. We are interested in how the signaling and trafficking of G protein-coupled receptors regulates breast cancer metastasis, using various molecular and biochemical techniques to study gene expression and protein-protein interactions in cancer cells. We also use fluorescent reporter molecules to study receptor-mediated intracellular signalling events in real-time, in single live cells and visualized by laser scanning confocal microscopy. The research program is comprised of the following projects:
PHOTOS: lab photo (L to R): Cindy Pape, Lab Technician Matt Zajac, MSc. Donna Cvetkovic, MSc. candidate Mistre Alemayehu, MSc. candidate Dr. Moshmi Bhattacharya Jeff Law, Msc. Candidate, Alice Luca, 4th year Honours Student
ALUMNI: Timothy Li, MSc., Adel Aziziyeh, MSc.,Tanya Polonenko, BSc., Brittany Parlett, BSc.,Lindsay McColl, BSc., Madhu Gupta, BSc., Jennifer Boyd, BSc.
PREVIOUS LAB PHOTO
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| Filopodia (green) in breast cancer cells | Cytoskeleton changes of normal mammary cells undergoing transition |
Pampillo M, Camuso N, Taylor JE, Szereszewski JM, Ahow MR, Zajac M, Millar RP, Bhattacharya M, Babwah AV. Regulation of GPR54 activity by GRK-2 and beta-arrestins. Mol Endocrinol. 2009 Dec;23(12):2060-74. Epub 2009 Oct 21. Cavanagh PC, Dunk C, Pampillo M, Kahiri C, Han V, Lye S, Bhattacharya M, Babwah AV. GnRH-Regulated Chemokine Expression in the Human Placenta. American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology. 2009 Jul; 297(1):C17-27. Aziziyeh IA, Alemayehu M, Li T, Pape MC, Pampillo M, Possmayer F, Babwah AV, Bhattacharya M. Dual regulation of lysophophatidic acid receptor signaling by RalGTPases and GRK2. Cellular Signalling. 2009 Jul; 21(7):1207-17. Li T, Alemayehu M, Aziziyeh IA, Pape MC, Pampillo M, Mills GB, Babwah AV, Bhattacharya M. b-arrestins and RalGTPases regulate lysophosphatidic acid mediated breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Molecular Cancer Research 2009 Jul; 7(7):1064-77. Bhattacharya M, Wang J, Ribeiro FM, Dixon SJ, Feldman RD, Hegele RA, Ferguson SS. Analysis of a missense variant of the human N-formyl peptide receptor that is associated with agonist-independent beta-arrestin association and indices of inflammation. Bhattacharya M, Babwah AV, Ferguson SS. Small GTP-binding protein-coupled receptors. Biochem Soc Trans. 2004 Dec;32(Pt 6):1040-4. Review. Bhattacharya M, Babwah AV, Godin C, Anborgh PH, Dale LB, Poulter MO, Ferguson SS. Ral and phospholipase D2-dependent pathway for constitutive metabotropic glutamate receptor endocytosis. J Neurosci. 2004 Oct 6;24(40):8752-61. Gill SK, Bhattacharya M, Ferguson SS, Rylett RJ. Identification of a novel nuclear localization signal common to 69- and 82-kDa human choline acetyltransferase. J Biol Chem. 2003 May 30;278(22):20217-24. Epub 2003 Mar 13. Bhattacharya M, Anborgh PH, Babwah AV, Dale LB, Dobransky T, Benovic JL, Feldman RD, Verdi JM, Rylett RJ, Ferguson SS. Beta-arrestins regulate a Ral-GDS Ral effector pathway that mediates cytoskeletal reorganization. Nat Cell Biol. 2002 Aug;4(8):547-55.
Re M, Pampillo M, Savard M, Dubuc C, McArdle CA, Millar RP, Conn PM, Gobeil F Jr, Bhattacharya M, Babwah AV. The human gonadotropin releasing hormone type I receptor is a functional intracellular GPCR expressed on the nuclear membrane. PLoS One. 2010 Jul 8;5(7):e11489.PMID: 20628612 [PubMed - in process]
Pharmacogenomics J. 2007 Jun;7(3):190-9. Epub 2006 Sep 5.
