Michael S. Parmacek

Herbert C. Rorer Professor of Medical Sciences

Department: Medicine

Contact information

9035 Gates Pavilion
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283

Office: (215) 662-3140
Fax: (215) 349-8017

Email:
michael.parmacek@uphs.upenn.edu

Graduate Group Affiliations

Cell and Molecular Biology

Publications

Search PubMed for articles

Links
Search PubMed for articles
Cardiovascular Division Faculty
Penn Health Profile
Parmacek Lab (MCRC)
Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group

Education
B.S. (Biology/Psychology)
Tufts University, 1977.
M.D.
Northwestern University Medical School, 1981.

Permanent link

Description of Research Expertise

Director, Cardiovascular Institute

Research Interests
Transcriptional programs that regulate cardiovascular development

Key Words: smooth muscle cell, cardiac myocyte, GATA, myocardin, transcription, notch

Description of Research
The Parmacek laboratory has a longstanding interest in examining the molecular programs that regulate vascular smooth muscle cell and cardiac myocyte development and differentiation. Dr. Parmacek cloned and characterized members of the GATA-4/5/6 family of zinc finger transcription factors and used gene targeting techniques in mice to elucidate the distinct functions of GATA-4 and GATA-6 in the cardiovascular system. The Parmacek laboratory also utilized transgenic techniques to show that an SRF-dependent transcriptional program regulates vascular SMC differentiation.

More recently Parmacek reported that myocardin is a critical SRF cofactor that regulates vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation and modulation of smooth muscle cell phenotype. These studies are relevant to understanding the molecular basis of angiogenesis and the pathophysiology of vascular proliferative syndromes including atherosclerosis.

In collaboration with other Penn cardiologists, Dr. Parmacek performs translational research studies focusing on stem cells and other novel agents that may be used to treat cardiovascular disease.

Rotation Projects for 2006-2007
1. Characterization of the function of MRTF-B in the heart and vasculature
2. Examine the molecular basis of Myocardin function in the heart and in vascular smooth muscle cells
3. Characterization of mice harboring a conditional mutation in the lineage-restricted transcription factors GATA-6
4. Examine the role of Notch signaling and Notch-regulated genes during angiogenesis and in the vasculature

Lab personnel:
Aaron Proweller MD, PhD - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Instructor, Dept of Medicine
Jian Li, MD - Senior Research Scientist
John Huang MD, PhD - Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Mary Chen - Senior Research Technician
Xiaohong Zhu - Senior Research Technician

Selected Publications

Li J, Zhu X, Chen M, Cheng L, Zhou D, Lu MM, Du K, Epstein JA, Parmacek MS: Myocardin-related transcription factor B is required in cardiac neural crest for smooth muscle differentiation and cardiovascular development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102(25): 8916-21, Jun 21 2005.

Abdullah I, Lepore JJ, Epstein JA, Parmacek MS, Gruber PJ: MRL mice fail to heal the heart in response to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Wound Repair and Regen 13(2): 205-8, Mar-Apr 2005.

Lepore JJ, Cappola TP, Mericko PA, Morrisey EE, Parmacek MS: GATA-6 regulates genes promoting synthetic functions in vascular smooth muscle cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 25(2): 309-14, Feb 2005.

Lepore JJ, Cheng L, Lu MM, Mericko PA, Morrisey EE, Parmacek MS: High-efficiency somatic mutagenesis in smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes in SM22α-CRE transgenic mice. Genesis 41(4): 179-84, Apr 2005.

Zhang SX, Garcia-Gras E, Wycuff DR, Marriot SJ, Kadeer N, Yu W, Olson EN, Garry DJ, Parmacek MS, Schwartz RJ: Identification of direct serum-response factor gene targets during Me2SO-induced P19 cardiac cell differentiation. J Biol Chem 280(19): 19115-26, May 13 2005.

Barron MR, Belaguli NS, Zhang SX, Trinh M, Iyer D, Merlo X, Lough JW, Parmacek MS, Bruneau BG, Schwartz RJ: Serum response factor, an enriched cardiac mesoderm obligatory factor, is a downstream gene target for Tbx genes. J Biol Chem 280(12): 11816-28, Mar 25 2005.

Proweller A, Pear WS, Parmacek MS: Notch signaling represses myocardin-induced smooth muscle cell differentiation. J Biol Chem 280(10): 8994-9004, Mar 11 2005.

Parmacek MS., Epstein JA.: Pursuing cardiac progenitors: regeneration redux. [Review] [19 refs] Cell 120(3): 295-8, Feb 11 2005.

Du K, Chen M, Li J, Lepore JJ, Mericko P, Parmacek, MS: Megakaryoblastic leukemia factor-1(MLK1) transduces cytoskeletal signals and induces smooth muscle cell differentiation from undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. J Biol Chem 279(17): 17578-86, Apr 2004.

Horwitz PA, Tsai EJ, Putt ME, Gilmore JM, Lepore JJ, Parmacek MS, Kao AC, Desai SS, Goldberg LR, Brozena SC, Jessup ML, Epstein JA, Cappola TP: Detection of cardiac allograft rejection and response to immunosuppressive therapy with peripheral blood gene expression. Circ 110(25): 3815-21, Dec 21 2004.

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