Julian Solway, M.D.

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Airway Constrictor Hyperresponsiveness in Asthma

Research Summary

Dr. Solway's laboratory addresses molecular mechanisms underlying airway constrictor hyperresponsiveness in asthma, including 1) Regulation of smooth muscle gene expression (with focus on SRF and GATA5); 2) Evaluation of mutations and mechanisms underlying heritable cholinergic hyperresponsiveness in a kindred of ENU-mutagenized mice; 3) Functional genetics of asthma, (consequences of genetic variations and transcriptional analysis of endobronchial biopsies); 4) Molecular mechanisms that regulate the mechanical plasticity-elasticity (taffy-like vs. rubber band-like) balance in contracted airway smooth muscle.

Selected Papers

Solway J, Seltzer J, Samaha F, Kim S, Alger LE, Niu Q, Morrisey EE, Ip HS, and Parmacek MS. (1995). Structure and expression of a smooth muscle cell-specific gene, SM22-alpha. J. Biol. Chem. 270(2): 13460-13469.

Halayko AJ, Camoretti-Mercado B, Forsythe SM, Vieira JE, Mitchell RW, Wylam ME, Hershenson MB, and Solway J. (1999). Divergent differentiation pathways in cultured airway smooth muscle: Induction of a subset of functionally contractile myocytes. Am. J. Physiol. 276 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 20): L197-L206.

Camoretti-Mercado B, Liu HW, Halayko AJ, Forsythe SM, Kyle JW, Li B, Fu Y, McConville J, Kogut P, Vieira JE, Patel NM, Hershenson MB, Fuchs E, Sinha S, Miano JM, Parmacek MS, Burkhardt JK, and Solway J. (2000). Physiological control of smooth muscle-specific gene expression through regulated nuclear translocation of serum response factor. J. Biol. Chem. 275(39):30387-30393.

Forsythe SM, Kogut PC, McConville JF, Fu Y, McCauley JA, Halayko AJ, Liu HW, Kao A, Fernandes DJ, Bellam S, Fuchs E, Sinha S, Bell GI, Camoretti-Mercado B, and Solway J. (2002). Structure and transcription of the human m3 muscarinic receptor gene. Am. J. Resp. Cell Mol. Biol. 26(3):298-305.

Liu HW, Halayko AJ, Harmon GS, McCauley JA, Kocieniewski K, McConville J, Fu Y, Forsythe SM, Fernandes DJ, Kogut P, Bellam S, Dowell M, Churchill J, Lesso H, Kassiri K, Mitchell RW, Hershenson MB, Camoretti-Mercado B, and Solway J. (2003). The RhoA/Rho kinase pathway regulates nuclear localization of serum response factor. Am J Resp Cell Mol Biol 29(1):39-47

Halayko AJ, Kartha S, Stelmack GL, McConville J, Tam J, Camoretti-Mercado B, Forsythe SM, Hershenson MB, Solway J.  (2004). PI (3) Kinase/mTOR/p70SK regulates contractile protein accumulation in airway myocyte differentiation. Am J. Respir Cell Mol Biol 31(3):266-75.

Dowell ML, Lakser OJ, Gerthoffer WT, Fredberg JJ, Stelmack GL, Halayko AJ, Solway J§, and Mitchell RW§. (§equal scientific direction).  (2004). Latrunculin B increases force fluctuation-induced relengthening of ACh-contracted, isotonically shortened canine tracheal smooth muscle. J Appl Physiol (in press)