Eppley Cancer Institute

• NAME/TRAINING:

Robert E. Lewis, Ph.D.

Back to Top

ACADEMIC DEGREES:

Medical/Graduate School:	Department of Physiology, University of Florida
Post-doctoral Training:	Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School

 

Back to Top

Contact Name:      Robert E. Lewis
Phone Numbers:     559-8290 (office), 559-8289 (lab)
e-mail addresses:   rlewis@unmc.edu

Back to Top

• GRANT SUPPORT (last 3 years):

Title: "Intracellular Regulators of Insulin Signaling"
Source: National Institutes of Health NIDDKD (Continuation of DK 52809)
Term: 4/1/02 - 3/31/06
Principal Investigator: Robert E. Lewis

Title: "KSR, a Modifier of Ras-Mediated Cell Transformation"
Source: National Cancer Institute
Term: 3/1/02 -2/28/07
Principal Investigator: Robert E. Lewis

Title: “MAP Kinase Signalling and Actin Modifiers”
Source: Nebraska Department of Heath and Human Services LB506
Term: 7/1/04 - 6/30/05
Principal Investigator: Robert E. Lewis

Title: “Crosstalk Between Regulators of Metabolic and Proliferative Control”
Source: Nebraska Research Initiative
Term: 7/1/04 - 6/30/06
Principal Investigator: Robert E. Lewis

Title: “KSR-Dependent gene expression analysis and siRNA evaluation of candidate genes”
Source: Nebraska EPSCOR
Term: 2/1/04 - 1/31/07
Principal Investigator: Robert E. Lewis

      Back to Top

• PUBLICATIONS (last 3-5 years):

Johnson, L.R., Johnson, T.K., M. Desler, Luster, T.A., T. Nowling, Lewis, R.E., and Rizzino, A. Effects of B-Myb on Gene Transcription: Phosphorylation-Dependent Activity and Acetylation by p300. J. Biol. Chem., 277, 4088-4097 (2002)

Brennan, J.A., Chaika, O.V., Volle, and Lewis, R.E.. Phosphorylation Regulates the Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Distribution of Kinase Suppressor of Ras. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 5369-5377 (2002).

Nguyen, A., Burack, W.R., Stock, J.L., Kortum, R.L., Chaika, O.V., Afkarian, M., Muller, W.J., Murphy, K.M., Morrison, D.K., Lewis, R.E., McNeish, J., and Shaw, A. Kinase Suppressor of Ras (KSR) is a scaffold which facilitates Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase activation in vivo. Mol. Cell. Biol., 22, 3035-3045 (2002).

Petrovas, C., Jeay, S. Lewis, R.E. and Sonenshein, G.S. B-Myb Repressor Function is Regulated by Cyclin A Phosphorylation and Sequences within the C-terminal Domain, Oncogene, in press 2003.

Koka S, Neudauer CL, Li X, Lewis RE, McCarthy JB, and Westendorf JJ.   The formin-homology-domain-containing protein FHOD1 enhances cell migration.  J. Cell Sci. 116, 1745-55, 2003. 

Matheny, SA, Chen, C, Kortum, RL, Razidlo, GL Lewis, RE, White, M.A.  Ras regulates assembly of mitogenic signaling complexes through the effector protein IMP.  Nature 427, 256-260, 2004. 

Kortum RL and Lewis RE.  The Molecular Scaffold KSR1 Regulates the Oncogenic Potential of Cells.  Mol. Cell. Biol. 24, 4407-4416 (2004).

Razidlo G.L., Kortum, R.L., Haferbier, J.L., and Lewis, R.E. Phosphorylation Regulates KSR1 Stability, ERK Activation, and Cell Proliferation. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 47808-47818 (2004).

Kim M., Kortum, R.L., Yan, Y., Stoeger, S., Sgagias, M., Lewis, R.E. and Cowan, K.H. Kinase Suppressor of Ras (KSR) Enhances Sensitivity to cis-Platinum (CDDP) and CDDP-Induced Activation of Extracellular Ligand-Regulated Kinase (ERK). Cancer Res., 65, 3986-3992 (2005).

Kortum, R.L., Costanzo, D. Haferbier, J. Schreiner, S., Razidlo, G.L., Wu, M.-H., Volle, D. J., Wu, M.-H., Mori, T., Sakaue, H., Chaika, N.V., Chaika, O.V., and Lewis, R.E. The Molecular Scaffold Kinase Suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1) Regulates Adipogenesis. Mol. Cell. Biol., 25, 7592-7604 (2005).

Robertson, S.E., Rao, S., Setty, G., Sitaram, A., Marks, M.S., Lewis, R.E., and Chou, M.M. Erk Signaling Regulates Clathrin-independent Endosomal Trafficking. Mol. Biol. Cell, 17, 645-657 (2006).

Kortum, R.L., Johnson, H.J., Costanzo, D.L., Volle, D. J., Razidlo, G.L., Fusello, A.M., Shaw A.S., and Lewis R.E. The Molecular Scaffold Kinase Suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1) is a Modifier of RasV12-Induced and Replicative Senescence. Mol. Cell. Biol., in press (2006).
 

Back to Top

• PREVIOUS GRADUATE STUDENTS/POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS (present location):

Carlos Sosa, M.D. (Postdoctoral fellow, Dept. Surgery, UNMC, Omaha, NE)
Laura Sosa, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral fellow, VAMC, Omaha, NE)
Jason Boehm, Ph.D. (1999-2004 Postdoctoral fellow, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; 2004-present, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Washington, D.C.)
Jason Baker, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Western Missouri St. College)
Jennifer Brennan, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biochemistry, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
Constance Dooley, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine
Paul Beum, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral fellow, University of Virgina)
Sreenivas Koka, D.D.S., Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Dept. of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, U. Nebraska Medical Center
Rob Kortum, Ph.D. (M.D./Ph.D. student completing medical school)
Gina Razidlo (postdoctoral fellow, Biochmistry and Molecular Biology, UNMC)

Back to Top

• CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS:

Our laboratory is interested in identifying the intracellular mechanisms that mediate a cell’s decision to proliferate, differentiate, or undergo apoptosis. Effort in the lab is focused on the biochemistry, cell biology and genetics of the gene Kinase Suppressor of Ras (KSR).  This gene encodes a molecular that regulates mitogenic and differentiation-inducing signals by the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway.  Constitutive activation of this pathway is an important contributor to human cancer.  We have demonstrated that KSR is a potent modifier of a normal cell’s susceptibility to transform into a cancer cell.  We are performing genetic analyses in KSR^-/- mice and in vitro studies with KSR^-/- primary fibroblasts expressing mutated KSR transgenes to understand its mechanism of action and its role in disease.

Back to Top

• SPECIALIZED LABORATORY/CLINICAL RESEARCH RESOURCES:

Automated, single cell microinjection equipment, epifluorescence microscope, equipment for phosphopeptide analysis, Li-Cor Odyssey infrared imaging equipment.

Back to Top