Cai Huang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2003
Office: BBSRB room B359
Tel: (859) 323-9577
Research Interests
Our research interest is to understand the signaling mechanisms by which regulate cell migration and cancer metastasis. Cell migration, a key step in cancer invasion and metastasis, is a highly dynamic process that requires temporal and spatial regulation of integrin inactivation and focal adhesion disassembly. Focal adhesions (FAs, also called cell-matrix adhesions) are specific types of large macromolecular assemblies at the ventral surface of cells, functioning as both mechanical machineries and regulatory signaling hubs. During cell migration, nascent focal adhesions (also called focal complexes) are formed to stabilize lamellipodia at the front of cells while focal adhesions are disassembled at the trailing edges of cells. Focal adhesions have been clearly implicated in cancer metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate focal adhesion dynamics and the role of focal adhesion dynamics in cancer metastasis remain to be elucidated.
The ubiquitin proteasome pathway regulates cell cycle, transcription and antigen processing, but its role in regulating cell adhesions and migration has just been recognized. In particular, our published and unpublished results have demonstrated the central role of the ubiquitin pathway in regulating focal adhesion dynamics and consequently cancer metastasis. The long-term goalof our lab is to identify novel ubiquitin pathways for cancer therapeutic approaches. Currently, we are focusing on identifying novel ubiquitin pathways that regulate cell adhesion dynamics, cell migration and cancer metastasis.
Selected Publications
Huang C, Jacobson K. Detection of protein-protein interactions employing non-immune IgG and BirA-mediated biotinylation. BioTechniques, 2010, 49: 881-886. PMID: 21143209
Wu Z, Li X, Sunkara M, Spearman H, Morris AJ, Huang C. PIPKIgamma regulates focal adhesion dynamics and colon cancer cell invasion. PLoS ONE, 2011, 6: e24775.
Huang C. Roles of E3 ubiquitin ligases in cell adhesion and migration. Cell Adhesion and Migration 2010, 4: 9-18. PMID: 20009572
Huang C, Rajfur Z, Yousefi N, Chen Z, Jacobson K, Ginsberg MH. Talin Phosphorylation by Cdk5 regulates Smurf1-mediated talin head ubiquitination and cell migration. Nat Cell Biol. 2009, 11: 624-630. PMID: 19363486
Loitto VM, Huang C, Sigal YJ, Jacobson K. Filopodia are induced by Aquaporin-9 expression. Exp. Cell Res. 2007, 313: 1295-1306. PMID: 17346701
Huang C, Jacobson K, Schaller MD. MAP kinase and cell migration. J. Cell Sci. 2004, 117: 4619-4628. PMID: 15371522
Huang C, Borchers C, Schaller MD, Jacobson K. Phosphorylation of paxillin by p38MAPK is involved in the neurite extension of PC-12 cells. J. Cell Biol. 2004, 164: 593-602. PMID: 14970194
Huang C, Jacobson K, Schaller MD. A role for JNK-paxillin signaling in cell migration. Cell Cycle 3(1): 4-6(2004). PMID: 14657652
Huang C, Rajfur Z, Borchers C, Schaller MD, Jacobson K. JNK phosphorylates paxillin and regulates cell migration. Nature 424: 219-223 (2003). PMID: 12853963
Liu J, Huang C, Zhan X. Src is required for cell migration and shape changes induced by fibroblast growth factor 1. Oncogene 18: 6700-6706 (1999). PMID: 10597276
Huang, C., Liu, J., Haudenschild, C.C., Zhan, X. The role of tyrosine phosphorylation of cortactin in the locomotion of endothelial cells. J. Biol. Chem. 273: 25770-25776 (1998). PMID: 9748248
Huang C, Ni Y, Wang T, Gao Y, Haudenschild CC, Zhan X. Down-regulation of the filamentous actin cross-linking activity of cortactin by srcmediated tyrosine phosphorylation. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 13911-13915 (1997). PMID: 9153252
Huang C, Tandon NN, Greco NJ, Ni Y, Wang T, Zhan X.
Proteolysis of platelet cortactin by calpain. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 19248-19252 (1997). PMID: 9235918
Warning Some websites linked on this page for the convenience of users are not managed by the University of Kentucky. The university does not review, control or take responsibility for the contents of those sites.
Disclaimer: Journal articles can be downloaded from this site for personal use only and may not be duplicated or distributed for commercial reasons, without written authorization from the Journal, the copyright holder.