Vickery Trinkaus-Randall
Professor of Biochemistry and Ophthalmology
Director Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program Cell & Molecular Biology
Boston University School of Medicine
School of Medicine Instructional Building, L903
715 Albany Street
Boston, MA 02118
Phone: 617-638-5099
Fax: 617-638-5337
Email: vickery@ bu.edu
Education
A.B., Kenyon College, Gambier, O.
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
People
Research Interests
Our laboratory has 2 major projects.
1. We are interested in how cells communicate during development and repair after a wound.
2. We are also interested in how cells respond to amyloid proteins and alter the extracellular environment.
In the first project we have demonstrated that injury results in the release of nucleotides and propagation of a Ca2+ wave to neighboring cells. This suggests that nucleotides and their receptors (purinergic) are critical components of wound repair. My lab has found that injury and activation of specific purinergic receptors elicits a number of signaling pathways; among them the activation of epidermal growth factor receptors. We are currently determIning which purinergic receptors play a role in the injury response and determining which tyrosine residues on the EGFR are critical for signaling and subsequent events such as migration. These questions are addressed using siRNA, site directed mutagenesis, mass spectrometry and live cell imaging studies.
In the second project our laboratory has asked how cells respond to amyloid light chains. The disease systemic amyloidosis affects the heart, liver, kidneys and spleen where it forms fibrils. To do this we have demonstrated how the light chains enter the cell and are currently examining changes in cellular trafficking and changes in the internalized light chain. We hypothesize that the cells alter the light chains and glycosaminoglycans to facilitate amyloid fibrils, and are conducting studies to determine how extracellular matrix proteins can alter fibril formation using atomic force microscopy and negative staining electron microscopy.
In addition we have collaborations with faculty at two other universities in Boston to use a tissue engineering approach to produce 3-dimensional organ corneal constructs.
Dr. Trinkaus-Randall has 2 confocal laser scanning microscopes that she has brought to BUSM by NCRR grants. She also teaches a course in Imaging.
Some of her current service commitments include the BU wide Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee, MD-PhD and SMED admission committees, the Biochemistry Qualifying Examination Committee, the Committee on Faculty Affairs and the APC.
Representative Publications
Trinkaus-Randall,V., Walsh,M.T., Steeves,S., Monis ,G., Connors,L., and Skinner,M. Cellular response of cardiac fibroblasts to amyloidogenic light chains. American J Pathol. 166:197-208, 2005.
Kaczmarek E., Erb L., Koziak K., Jaryna R., Wink M.R., Guckelberger O., Blusztajn JK. Trinkaus-Randall V., Weisman GA., Robson SC. Modulation of endothelial cell migration by extracellular nucleotides involvement of focal adhesion kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-mediated pathways. Thrombosis and Homeostasis. 93: 735-742, 2005.
Weinger I, Klepeis V and Trinkaus-Randall,V. Trinucleotide receptors play a critical role in epithelial wound repair. Purinergic Signaling, 1: 281-292, 2005.
Monis, G, Schultz C, Ren R, Eberhard J, Costello E.C, Connors L, Skinner,M and Trinkaus-Randall,V. Role of endocytic inhibitory drugs on internalization of amyloidogenic light chains by cardiac fibroblasts. Amer J Pathol. 169 (6) 1939-52, 2006
Boucher I, Yang LL, Mayo C, Klepeis V and V. Trinkaus-Randall. Injury and nucleotides induce phosphorylation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor:MMP and HB-EGF Dependent Pathway. Experimental Eye Res. 85:130-41E pub ahead of print. 2007.
Guo X, Hutcheon Audrey, Melotti Suzanna, Zieske James D, Trinkaus-Randall Vickery, Ruberti Jeffrey W. Morphological Characterization of Organized Extracellular Matrix Deposition by Ascorbic Acid-Stimulated Human Corneal Fibroblasts. IOVS. 48:4050-60.2007
Ren R, Hutcheon AEK, Guo XQ, Melotti S, Ruberti JW, Zieske JD and V. Trinkaus-Randall. Human primary corneal fibroblasts synthesize and deposit proteoglycans in longterm 3_D cultures. Dev Dyn. 237L2705-2715. 2008.
Mayo C, Ren R, Rich C, Stepp MA and V. Trinkaus-Randall, Regulation by P2X7: Epithelial migration and stromal organization in the cornea. Inv Ophthal Vis Sci. 49: 4384-4391. 2008.
Selected Invited Chapters
Trinkaus-Randall,V.: Cornea: Biological Responses. Ch. 35 pp 471-491 In: Principles of Tissue Engineering (second edition). eds. R. Lanza and R. Langer and E. Chick . Academic Press, Calif. 2000.
Jung, P., A.H. Cornell-Bell, M. Dreher, A. deGrauw, R. Strawsburg, V. Trinkaus-Randall: Statistical analysis and modeling in calcium waves in healthy and pathological astrocyte syncytia. In Stochastic Processes in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Springer Verlag, 2001.
Cornell-Bell A, Jung P, V. Trinkaus-Randall. Decoding Calcium Wave Signaling. Vol 31. pp. 661-689. In Advances in Molecular and Cell Biology. Elsevier Science, 2003 Ruberti J., Zieske JD., and V. Trinkaus-Randall.: Corneal Tissue Replacement in: The Principles of Tissue Engineering. Ch. 68. ed. Lanza, langer and Vacanti. Elsevier. 2007.
