Aimee Lara EdingerAssistant Professor, Developmental & Cell Biology |
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Research Interests |
nutrient transporter proteins, Rab7, sphingolipids, cancer biology, metabolism, autophagy, mTOR, Akt | |
| URL | Edinger Lab website | |
| Appointments | Helen Hay Whitney Fellow 2000-2003 | |
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Research Abstract |
Many labs have demonstrated that tumor suppressor and oncogenic proteins regulate cell growth and survival by modulating cellular metabolism. My laboratory is studying the relationship between cellular bioenergetics and transformation from a unique angle: I propose that constitutive nutrient transporter expression is a primary cause of oncogenic transformation. The alternate view, that elevated nutrient transporter expression is a consequence rather than a cause of transformation, is currently more widely accepted. However, my own work and that of others shows that blocking nutrient transporter destruction is sufficient to prevent apoptosis and transform cells in vitro, suggesting that nutrient uptake stimulates rather than parallels mammalian cell growth. Despite the potential relevance for cancer detection, staging, and treatment, virtually nothing is known about how mammalian nutrient transporter expression is regulated. By identifying the signals that regulate nutrient transporter turnover, I anticipate that our studies will re-cast these “housekeeping” proteins as critical gatekeepers on the path to tumorigenesis. Four related projects are currently underway in the lab: 1) Characterizing our conditional Rab7 knockout mouse. 2) Evaluating Rab7 activation as a chemotherapeutic strategy. 3) Determine how oncogenes (Akt) and tumor suppressors (PKCdelta)regulate Rab7 activity. 4) Investigating the links between ceramide, nutrient transporter down-regulation, autophagy, and cell death. |
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| Publications |
Fruman DA, Edinger AL. Cancer therapy: staying current with AMPK. Biochem J. 2008 Jun 1;412(2):e3-5. |
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Edinger AL. Controlling cell growth and survival through regulated nutrient transporter expression. Biochem J. 2007 Aug 15;406(1):1-12. |
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Edinger AL, Thompson CB. Death by design: apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2004 Dec;16(6):663-9. |
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Edinger AL, Thompson CB. An activated mTOR mutant supports growth factor-independent, nutrient-dependent cell survival. Oncogene. 2004 Jul 22;23(33):5654-63. |
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Edinger AL, Cinalli RM, Thompson CB. Rab7 prevents growth factor-independent survival by inhibiting cell-autonomous nutrient transporter expression. Dev Cell. 2003 Oct;5(4):571-82. |
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Edinger AL, Linardic CM, Chiang GG, Thompson CB, Abraham RT. Differential effects of rapamycin on mammalian target of rapamycin signaling functions in mammalian cells. Cancer Res. 2003 Dec 1;63(23):8451-60. |
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Edinger AL, Thompson CB. Akt maintains cell size and survival by increasing mTOR-dependent nutrient uptake. Mol Biol Cell. 2002 Jul;13(7):2276-88. |
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Edinger AL, Thompson CB. Antigen-presenting cells control T cell proliferation by regulating amino acid availability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Feb 5;99(3):1107-9. |
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| Grant | Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research | |
| Graduate Programs |
Cancer Biology |
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| Link to this profile | http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5267 | |
| Last updated | 08/22/2008 | |