Marcelo Gabriel Kazanietz, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics
Department: Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics
Contact information
Institute for Translational Medicine & Therapeutics
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
1256 Biomedical Building II/III
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
1256 Biomedical Building II/III
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160
Office: (215) 898-0253
Fax: (215) 746-8941
Fax: (215) 746-8941
Publications
Links
Search PubMed for articles
Primary Work Website
Department of Pharmacology faculty member webpage
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics graduate group faculty webpage.
Pharmacological Sciences graduate group faculty webpage.
Search PubMed for articles
Primary Work Website
Department of Pharmacology faculty member webpage
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics graduate group faculty webpage.
Pharmacological Sciences graduate group faculty webpage.
Education:
MSc. (Pharmacy)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1983.
MSc. (Biochemistry)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1987.
Ph.D. (Pharmacology)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1989.
Permanent linkMSc. (Pharmacy)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1983.
MSc. (Biochemistry)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1987.
Ph.D. (Pharmacology)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1989.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Kazanietz studies the receptors for the phorbol ester tumor promoters and the second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG), an important intracellular mediator of proliferation and malignant transformation. His lab is exploring the role of PKC isozymes (the main phorbol ester/DAG receptors) in prostate carcinogenesis,and the signal transduction pathways regulated by each PKC isozyme, including the MAPK cascades and Akt/PKB. The second area of research involves the "chimaerins", novel phorbol ester/DAG receptors with Rac-GAP activity. Rac is a small GTP-binding protein that regulates actin cytoskeleton organization, cell cycle progression, gene expression, adhesion and migration. He is currently focusing on the cellular functions of chimaerin isoforms and we are isolating interacting proteins that control their subcellular localization and activity.Selected Publications
Kazanietz MG, Cooke M, Garcia-Mata R.: Nonredundant Rac-GEF control of actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Trends Cell Biol. 32(10): 815-818, Oct 2022.Cooke M, Zhang X, Zhang S, Eruslanov E, Lal P, Daniel RE, Feldman MD, Abba MC, Kazanietz MG: Protein kinase C alpha is a central node for tumorigenic transcriptional networks in human prostate cancer. Cancer Res Commun 2(11): 1372-1387, Nov 2022.
Cooke M, Kazanietz MG: Overarching roles of diacylglycerol signaling in cancer development and antitumor immunity. Sci Signal. 15(729): eabo0264, April 2022.
Cooke M, Kreider-Letterman G, Baker MJ, Zhang S, Sullivan NT, Eruslanov E, Abba MC, Goicoechea SM, García-Mata R, Kazanietz MG: FARP1, ARHGEF39, and TIAM2 are essential receptor tyrosine kinase effectors for Rac1-dependent cell motility in human lung adenocarcinoma. Cell Rep 37(5): 109905, Nov 2021.
Garg R, Cooke M, Benavides F, Abba MC, Cicchini M, Feldser DM, Kazanietz MG.: PKCε Is Required for KRAS-Driven Lung Tumorigenesis. Cancer Res. 80(23): 5166-5173, Dec 2020.
Cooke M, Zhou X, Casado-Medrano V, Lopez-Haber C, Baker MJ, Garg R, Ann J, Lee J, Blumberg PM, Kazanietz MG.: Characterization of AJH-836, a diacylglycerol-lactone with selectivity for novel PKC isozymes. J Biol Chem. 293(22): 8330-8341, June 2018.
Baker MJ, Cooke M, Kazanietz MG.: Nuclear PKCι-ECT2-Rac1 and Ribosome Biogenesis: A Novel Axis in Lung Tumorigenesis. Cancer Cell. 31(2): 167-169, Feb 2017.
Garg R, Blando JM, Perez CJ, Abba MC, Benavides F, Kazanietz MG.: Protein Kinase C Epsilon Cooperates with PTEN Loss for Prostate Tumorigenesis through the CXCL13-CXCR5 Pathway. Cell Rep. 19(2): 375-388, Apr 2017.
Sosa Maria Soledad, Lopez-Haber Cynthia, Yang Chengfeng, Wang Hongbin, Lemmon Mark A, Busillo John M, Luo Jiansong, Benovic Jeffrey L, Klein-Szanto Andres, Yagi Hiroshi, Gutkind J Silvio, Parsons Ramon E, Kazanietz Marcelo G: Identification of the Rac-GEF P-Rex1 as an essential mediator of ErbB signaling in breast cancer. Molecular cell 40(6): 877-92, Dec 2010.