Chair
Lester F. Lau, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
University of Illinois at Chicago
900 S. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60607 USA
Tel: (312) 996-6978
Fax: (312) 996-7034
http://www.uic.edu/com/bcmg/lau1.htm
Present Position
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago
Co-Director of Graduate Studies
University of Illinois at Chicago
Societies
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for Cancer Research
American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
American Society for Cell Biology
American Society for Matrix Biology
Editorial Boards
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Experimental Cell Research
Journal of Cell Communication and Signaling
Research Themes
- The roles of CCN proteins in cardiovascular development
- CCN1 actions in angiogenesis and tumor growth
- Regulation of TNFα activities by integrin-mediated matrix signaling
Selected Recent Publications
Chen C.-C, Young, J.L., Monzon, R.I., Chen, N., Todorovic, V., and Lau, L.F..
Cytotoxicity of TNFa is regulated by integrin-mediated matrix signaling.
EMBO J. 2007; 26:1257-1267.
Mo, F.-E and Lau, L.F..
The matricellular protein CCN1 is essential for cardiac development.
Circulation Res. 2006; 99: 961-969.
Todorovic, V., Chen, C.-C., Hay, N., and Lau, L.F..
The matrix protein CCN1 (CYR61) induces apoptosis in fibroblasts.
J. Cell Biol. 2005; 171: 559-568.
Lau, L.F. and Lam, S.C.-T..
Integrin-mediated CCN functions.
In "CCN proteins: a new family of cell growth regulators," B. Perbal and M. Takigawa, Eds. Imperial College Press, UK. 2005; pp.61-79.
Lin, C.G., Chen, C.C., Leu, S.J., Grzeszkiewicz, T.M., and Lau, L.F..
Integrin-dependent functions of the angiogenic inducer NOV (CCN3): implication in wound healing.
J Biol Chem. 2005; 280: 8229-37.
Lapik, Y.R., Fernandes, C.J., Lau, L.F., and Pestov, D.G..
Physical and functional interaction between Pes1 and Bop1 in mammalian ribosome biogenesis.
Molecular Cell 2004; 15: 17-29.
Leu, S.J., Chen, N., Chen, C.C., Todorovic, V., Bai, T., Juric, V., Liu, Y., Yan, G., Lam, S.C., and Lau, L.F..
Targeted mutagenesis of the angiogenic protein CCN1 (CYR61): selective inactivation of integrin α6β1-heparan sulfate proteoglycan coreceptor-mediated cellular functions.
J. Biol. Chem. 2004; 279: 44177-44187.
Chen, N., Leu, S.J., Todorovic, V., Lam, S.C., and Lau, L.F..
Identification of a novel integrin avb3 binding site in CCN1 (CYR61) critical for pro-angiogenic activities in vascular endothelial cells.
J. Biol. Chem. 2004; 279: 44166-44176.
Leu, S.-J., Liu, Y., Lam., S.C.-T., and Lau, L.F..
Identification of a novel integrin a6b1 binding site in the angiogenic inducer CCN1 (CYR61).
J. Biol. Chem. 2003; 278: 33801-33808.
Schober, J. M., Ugarova, T.P., Lau, L.F., and Lam, S.C.-T..
Identification of a novel aMb2 binding site in CCN1 (CYR61), a matricellular protein expressed in healing wounds and atherosclerotic lesions.
J. Biol. Chem. 2003; 278: 25808-25815.
Lin, C., Leu, S.-J., Chen, N., Tebeau, C.M., Lin, S.-X., Yeung, C.-Y., and Lau, L.F..
CCN3 (NOV) is a novel angiogenic regulator of the CCN protein family.
J. Biol. Chem. 2003; 278: 24200-24208.
Latinkic, B.V., S. Mercurio, B. Bennett, E. Hirst, Q. Xu, L.F. Lau, T,J. Mohun and J. C. Smith.
Xenopus cyr61 regulates gastrulation movements and modulates Wnt signalling.
Development 2003;130: 2429-2441.
Mo, F.-E, Muntean, A.G., Chen, C.-C., Stolz, D.B, Watkins, S.B., and Lau, L.F..
CYR61 (CCN1) is essential for placental development and vascular integrity.
Mol. Cell. Biol. 2002; 22: 8709-8720.
Leu, S.J., Lam, S.C.-T., and Lau, L.F..
Proangiogenic activities of CYR61 (CCN1) mediated through integrins avb3 and a6b1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
J. Biol. Chem. 2002; 277: 46248-55.
Grzeszkiewicz, T.M., Lindner, V., Chen, N., Lam, S.C.-T., and Lau, L.F..
CYR61 is upregulated during vascular injury and stimulates vascular smooth muscle cell adhesion and chemotaxis through integrin a6b1 and cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans.
Endocrinology. 2002; 143: 1441-1450.