UGA Physiology and Pharmacology | Faculty and Research

SHIYOU CHEN, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor



	contact:		Department of Physiology and Pharmacology College of Veterinary Medicine Room 2220 The University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 Phone (706) 542-8284 Fax (706) 542-3015 sc229@uga.edu

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Molecular genetics, DNA structure and function

Vascular Smooth Muscle Differentiation, Myofibroblast Activation and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation, myofibroblast activation and EMT are important processes during embryonic development as well as the onset of several prominent human diseases including cardiovascular disorders, organ fibrosis and tumor metastasis. Our goal is to identify critical signaling molecules and protein factors controlling these processes.

Our current focus is to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying TGF-β function in VSMC differentiation from neural crest cells, myofibroblast activation from mesenchymal progenitors and EMT of human epithelial cells. We utilize both genetic modified mouse (in vivo) and cell (in vitro) models to study the functions of TGF-β downstream signaling molecules and gene targets in phenotype switches between stem cells and VSMC, mesenchymal progenitors and myofibroblasts, as well as epithelial and mesenchymal cells. We have identified response gene to complement 32 (RGC-32) as an important TGF-β target gene in VSMC differentiation and EMT.

The ongoing projects are to study the mechanisms by which Smads and RGC-32 regulate VSMC differentiation, myofibroblast activation as well as EMT of epithelial cells from different organs.

Grant Support

R01 HL093429 — Dates: 08/01/08-07/31/13
R01 HL093429-03S1 — Dates: 07/15/09-06/30/11
National Institutes of Health
Smad2 and smooth muscle differentiation from neural crest cells

Beginning Grant-in-Aid — Dates: 07/01/07-06/30/10
American Heart Association
Activation and function of RGC-32 in VSMC from neural crest cells

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Wenyan Huang, Zuguo Li, Horea Rus, Xiaoyan Wang, Pedro A Jose, Shiyou Chen, 2009, Response gene to complement 32 mediates transforming growth factor beta-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human renal proximal tubular cells, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284(14):9426-32

Zaiming Luo, Yifan Chen, Shiyou Chen, Bill Welch, Bradley T. Andresen, and Pedro Jose, Christopher Wilcox, 2009, Comparison of drugs to inhibit superoxide generation in vascular smooth muscle cells, British Journal of Pharmacology, 157: 935–943.

Xu-Ping Qin, Si-Yu Zeng, Hai-Hong Tian, Shui-Xiu Deng, Jun-Fang Ren, Yuan-Bin Zheng, Dai-Li, Yuan-Jian Li, Duan-Fang Liao and Shiyou Chen, 2009, Involvement of Prolylcarboxypeptidase in the effect of rutaecarprine on the regression of mesenteric artery hypertrophy in the renovascular hypertensive rats, Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 36(3):319-24

Fengmin Li, Zaiming Luo, Wenyan Huang, Quansheng Lu, Christopher S Wilcox, Pedro A Jose and Shiyou Chen, 2007, Respose gene to complement 32, a novel regulator for transforming growth factor-β-induced smooth muscle differentiation of neural crest cells, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282(14):10133-7 (accelerated publication).

Victorino R. Briones, Shiyou Chen, Anna Tate Riegel, Robert J. Lechleider, 2006, Mechanism of Fibroblast Growth Factor-Binding Protein 1 Repression by TGF-β, Biochemical Biophysical Research Communications, 345(2):595-601.

Shiyou Chen (corresponding author), Michelle Crawford, Regina M. Day, Victorino R. Briones, Jennifer E. Leader, Pedro A. Jose and Robert J. Lechleider, 2006, RhoA modulates Smad signaling during TGF-β-induced smooth muscle differentiation, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281(3):1765-70.

Shiyou Chen and Robert J. Lechleider, 2004, Transforming growth factor-β-induced differentiation of smooth muscle from a neural crest cell line, Circulation Research, 94:1195-1202.

Shiyou Chen, Magdalena Kulik and Robert J. Lechleider, 2003, Smad proteins regulate transcriptional induction of the SM22α gene by TGF-β, Nucleic Acids Research, 31(4): 1302-1310.

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