Eric S. Witze
Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology
Department: Cancer Biology
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Biomedical Research Building II/III RM 652 Curie Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6142
Biomedical Research Building II/III RM 652 Curie Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6142
Office: (215)573-6301
Fax: (215)573-6725
Lab: (215)746-3460
Fax: (215)573-6725
Lab: (215)746-3460
Email:
ewitze@exchange.upenn.edu
ewitze@exchange.upenn.edu
Education:
BA (Biology)
University of California, Santa Barbara, 1994.
Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology)
University of California, Santa Barbara, 2003.
Permanent linkBA (Biology)
University of California, Santa Barbara, 1994.
Ph.D. (Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology)
University of California, Santa Barbara, 2003.
Description of Research Expertise
Research Interest: Wnt control of cell polarity in cancer.Key Words: Wnt signaling, cell polarity, cytoskeleton, melanoma, live cell imaging
Research Details: Our lab studies cell polarity which is required for virtually all aspects of cell behavior including cell morphology, cell motility, and cell identity arising from asymmetric divisions (e.g., stem cells). In particular we are interested in how extracellular signals control metastatic behavior in melanoma by regulating cell polarity. Wnt5a is a non-canonical Wnt ligand that regulates cell polarity in developmental systems and we found that Wnt5a induces the formation of a novel polarized structure (WRAMP structure) in melanoma cells that mediates membrane retraction and directional cell movement. We are using live cell imaging to determine both the temporal assembly of the WRAMP structure and the function of this structure during cell migration and invasion. Future work will determine the in vivo function of the WRAMP structure and Wnt5a regulated cell polarity during metastasis.
Rotation Projects: Identification of downstream targets of Wnt5a in cancer cells and imaging of protein localization in live cells. Determine the function of polarity components during migration and invasion.
Lab Personel:
Rachel Ekaireb (Research Specialist)
Kristen Runkle (Postdoctoral Researcher)
Ewa Stypulkowski (Graduate Student)
Wei Wang (Postdoctoral Researcher)
Katelyn Wichert (Administrative Assistant)
Selected Publications
Sayers CM, Papandreou I, Guttmann DM, Maas NL, Diehl JA, Witze ES, Koong AC, Koumenis C.: Identification and Characterization of a Potent Activator of P53-Independent Cellular Senescence Via a Small Molecule Screen for Modifiers of the Integrated Stress Response. Molecular Pharmacology Dec 2012 Notes: [Epub ahead of print]Bobrovnikova-Marjon E, Pytel D, Riese MJ, Vaites LP, Singh N, Koretzky GA, Witze ES, Diehl JA.: PERK utilizes intrinsic lipid kinase activity to generate phosphatidic acid, mediate AKT activation and promote adipocyte differentiation. Molecular and cellular biology Apr 2012.
Kabuyama Yukihito, Litman Elizabeth S, Templeton Paul D, Metzner Sandra I, Witze Eric S, Argast Gretchen M, Langer Stephen J, Polvinen Kirsi, Shellman Yiqun, Chan Daniel, Shabb John B, Fitzpatrick James E, Resing Katheryn A, Sousa Marcelo C, Ahn Natalie G: A mediator of Rho-dependent invasion moonlights as a methionine salvage enzyme. Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP 8(10): 2308-20, Oct 2009.
Old William M, Shabb John B, Houel Stephane, Wang Hong, Couts Kasey L, Yen Chia-Yu, Litman Elizabeth S, Croy Carrie H, Meyer-Arendt Karen, Miranda Jose G, Brown Robert A, Witze Eric S, Schweppe Rebecca E, Resing Katheryn A, Ahn Natalie G: Functional proteomics identifies targets of phosphorylation by B-Raf signaling in melanoma. Molecular cell 34(1): 115-31, Apr 2009.
Witze Eric S, Field Erin D, Hunt Donald F, Rothman Joel H: C. elegans pur alpha, an activator of end-1, synergizes with the Wnt pathway to specify endoderm. Developmental biology 327(1): 12-23, Mar 2009.
Witze Eric S, Litman Elizabeth S, Argast Gretchen M, Moon Randall T, Ahn Natalie G: Wnt5a control of cell polarity and directional movement by polarized redistribution of adhesion receptors. Science (New York, N.Y.) 320(5874): 365-9, Apr 2008.
Bloss Tim A, Witze Eric S, Rothman Joel H: Suppression of CED-3-independent apoptosis by mitochondrial betaNAC in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature 424(6952): 1066-71, Aug 2003.