
Magdalena Chrzanowska-Wodnicka, PhD, FAHA
Associate Professor; Pharmacology and Toxicology; Investigator, Versiti Blood Research Institute
Locations
- Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin
Contact Information
Education
Research Interests
Our laboratory is interested in the function of small G proteins in the cardiovascular system. We use transgenic mouse and zebrafish models for in vivo studies and a variety of biochemical, molecular and microscopy approaches to interrogate signaling by small GTPases in vascular cells ex vivo.
Small G protein Rap1 has been the main focus of our research over the past few years. Rap1, evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitously expressed, is activated downstream from multiple cell surface receptors and regulates several basic cellular functions: adhesion, migration, polarity, differentiation and growth. Well studied in vitro, Rap1 functions in mammalian systems in vivo are still not very well understood.
Angiogenesis
Using Rap1b-knockout mice we have recently revealed a novel role of Rap1bin vivo: regulation of angiogenesis. In an in vivo neonatal retinal model and a Matrigel plug model we demonstrated that Rap1b-deficiency leads to a defect in angiogenesis, and through ex vivo and in vitro studies, we localized the defect to endothelial cells and shown that endothelial proliferation and migration are affected by Rap1b-deficiency. At the molecular level, the underlying mechanism involves defective activation and signaling downstream from Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Receptor 2. Current research in the laboratory is focused on elucidating molecular mechanisms through which Rap1 regulates endothelial cell responses to VEGF promoting angiogenesis.
Cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension
In addition to promoting angiogenesis, our studies indicate that Rap1b is required for maintenance of normal blood pressure as Rap1b-knockout mice are hypertensive and develop cardiac hypertrophy. This is a novel function of Rap1 and we are currently utilizing tissue-specific knockout mice to understand which physiological processes involved in regulation of blood pressure and normal cardiac function are regulated by Rap1.
Publications
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(Lakshmikanthan S, Sobczak M, Li Calzi S, Shaw L, Grant MB, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M.) J Cell Sci. 2018 01 10;131(1) PMID: 29222111 PMCID: PMC5818062 12/10/2017
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(Maruyama T, Jiang M, Abbott A, Yu HI, Huang Q, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M, Chen EI, Hsu W.) J Bone Miner Res. 2017 Sep;32(9):1816-1828 PMID: 28520221 PMCID: PMC5555789 05/19/2017
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(Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M.) Curr Opin Hematol. 2017 May;24(3):248-255 PMID: 28178039 PMCID: PMC5920548 02/09/2017
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Nogo-B receptor deficiency causes cerebral vasculature defects during embryonic development in mice.
(Rana U, Liu Z, Kumar SN, Zhao B, Hu W, Bordas M, Cossette S, Szabo S, Foeckler J, Weiler H, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M, Holtz ML, Misra RP, Salato V, North PE, Ramchandran R, Miao QR.) Dev Biol. 2016 Feb 15;410(2):190-201 PMID: 26746789 PMCID: PMC4767500 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84957847497 01/10/2016
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(Wang H, Han X, Bretz CA, Becker S, Gambhir D, Smith GW, Samulski RJ, Wittchen ES, Quilliam LA, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M, Hartnett ME.) Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2016;3:16056 PMID: 27606349 PMCID: PMC4996131 09/09/2016
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(Lakshmikanthan S, Zheng X, Nishijima Y, Sobczak M, Szabo A, Vasquez-Vivar J, Zhang DX, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M.) EMBO Rep. 2015 May;16(5):628-37 PMID: 25807985 PMCID: PMC4428051 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84928885238 03/27/2015
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Small GTPase Rap1 Is Essential for Mouse Development and Formation of Functional Vasculature.
(Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M, White GC 2nd, Quilliam LA, Whitehead KJ.) PLoS One. 2015;10(12):e0145689 PMID: 26714318 PMCID: PMC4694701 12/30/2015
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(Kumar S, Xu J, Kumar RS, Lakshmikanthan S, Kapur R, Kofron M, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M, Filippi MD.) J Exp Med. 2014 Aug 25;211(9):1741-58 PMID: 25092872 PMCID: PMC4144729 08/06/2014
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(Lakshmikanthan S, Zieba BJ, Ge ZD, Momotani K, Zheng X, Lund H, Artamonov MV, Maas JE, Szabo A, Zhang DX, Auchampach JA, Mattson DL, Somlyo AV, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M.) Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014 Jul;34(7):1486-94 PMID: 24790136 PMCID: PMC4224284 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84903159007 05/03/2014
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(Wang H, Jiang Y, Shi D, Quilliam LA, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M, Wittchen ES, Li DY, Hartnett ME.) FASEB J. 2014 Jan;28(1):265-74 PMID: 24043260 PMCID: PMC3868836 09/18/2013
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Distinct functions for Rap1 signaling in vascular morphogenesis and dysfunction.
(Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M.) Exp Cell Res. 2013 Sep 10;319(15):2350-9 PMID: 23911990 PMCID: PMC3913003 08/06/2013
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Rap1 GTPase activation and barrier enhancement in rpe inhibits choroidal neovascularization in vivo.
(Wittchen ES, Nishimura E, McCloskey M, Wang H, Quilliam LA, Chrzanowska-Wodnicka M, Hartnett ME.) PLoS One. 2013;8(9):e73070 PMID: 24039860 PMCID: PMC3769400 09/17/2013