Sigrid Rajasekaran, Ph.D.

Head, Cancer Cell Metabolism Laboratory

Contact

Rajasekaran

Cancer Cell Metabolism Laboratory
Rockland Center I-230
Department of Biomedical Research
A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
1600 Rockland Road
Wilmington, DE 19803

Phone: (302) 651-6538
Fax: (302) 651-6539
E-mail: sraj@medsci.udel.edu

Education

B.S.: Universtity of Ulm, Germany
Ph.D.: Cornell University

Research Interests

• Link between obesity and cancer
• Therapeutic and diagnostic potential of intracellular sodium

Current Projects

• Regulation of metabolic pathways by intracellular ions in obesity and cancer
• Intracellular ion homeostasis dependent regulation of signaling pathways

Research Group

• Daniel Wolle - Research Assistant. Studying the effects of intracellular sodium on signaling pathways.

Selected Publications

Seligson D., Rajasekaran S.A., Yu H., Liu X., Eeva M., Tze S., Ball W. Jr., Horvath S., deKernion J., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2008). Na,K-ATPase α1-subunit predicts survival in renal clear cell carcinoma. J Urol (in press).

Rajasekaran S.A., Barwe S.P., Gopal J., Ryazantsev S., Schneeberger E.E., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2007). Na,K-ATPase regulates tight junction permeability through occludin phosphorylation in pancreatic epithelial cells. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 292:G124-G133.

Barwe S.P., Kim S., Rajasekaran S.A., Bowie J.U., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2007). Janus model of the Na,K-ATPase β-subunit transmembrane domain: Distinct faces mediate α/β assembly and β-β homo-oligomerization. J Mol Biol 365:706-714.

Barwe S.P., Rajasekaran S.A., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2006). Identification of protein kinase C (PKC) as an intermediate in lamellipodia formation and suppression of cell motility in Na,K-ATPase β-subunit expressing cells. Cell Mol Biol 52:41-47.

Kim G., Rajasekaran S.A., Rosen E., Lassman C., Said J., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2005). Renal-cell clear-cell carcinoma: an ultrastructural study on the junctional complexes. Histol Histopathol 20:35-44.

Barwe S.P., Anilkumar G., Moon S.Y., Zheng Y., Whitelegge J., Rajasekaran S.A., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2005). Novel role for Na,K-ATPase in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and suppression of cell motility. Mol Biol Cell 16:1082-1094.

Rajasekaran S.A., Barwe S.P., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2005). Multiple functions of Na,K-ATPase in epithelial cells. Semin Nephrol 25:328-334.

Rajasekaran S.A., Gopal J., Willis D., Espineda C., Twiss J., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2004). Na,K-ATPase β1-subunit increases the translation efficiency of the α1-subunit in MSV-MDCK cells. Mol Biol Cell 15:3224-3232.

Espineda C.E., Chang J., Twiss J., Rajasekaran S.A., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2004). Repression of Na,K-ATPase β1-subunit by the transcription factor Snail in carcinoma. Mol Biol Cell 15:1364-1373.

Rajasekaran S.A., Gopal J., Espineda C., Ryazantsev S., Schneeberger E.E., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2004). HPAF-II, a cell culture model to study pancreatic epithelial cell structure and function. Pancreas 29:e77-e84.

Rajasekaran A.K. and Rajasekaran S.A. (2003). Role of Na,K-ATPase in the assembly of tight junctions. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 285:F388-F396.

Rajasekaran S.A., Palmer L.G., Quan K., Harper J.F., Ball W.J. Jr., Peralta Soler A., Bander N.H., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2001). Na, K-ATPase β-subunit is required for epithelial polarization, suppression of invasion and cell motility. Mol Biol Cell 12:279-295.

Rajasekaran S.A., Palmer L.G., Moon S.Y., Peralta Soler A., Apodaca G.L., Harper J.F., Zheng Y., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2001). Na,K-ATPase activity is required for the formation of tight junctions, desmosomes, and induction of polarity in epithelial cells. Mol Biol Cell 12:3717-3732.

Rajasekaran S.A., Hu J., Gopal J., Gallemore, R., Ryazantsev S., Bok D., and Rajasekaran A.K. (2003). Na,K-ATPase inhibition alters tight junction structure and permeability in human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 284:C1497-C1507.

Rajasekaran S.A., Ball W.J. Jr., Bander N.H., Liu H., Pardee J.D., Rajasekaran A.K. (1999). Reduced expression of β-subunit of Na,K-ATPase in human clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma. J Urol 162:574-580.