Department of Pharmacology SL83, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430
Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112-2699.
Telephone: (504) 988-5444; Fax (504) 988-5283; Email: bbeckman@tulane.edu
Dr. Beckman's laboratory website: Signal Transduction Lab
The research activities of my laboratory are focused on
gaining a better understanding of how hematopoietic factors work
at the biochemical and molecular level. Signal transduction
events that we have identified as being important in the
mechanism of action of erythropoietin, the growth factor for
erythroid progenitor cells, include the activation of
phospholipases leading to the generation of lipid signalling
molecules, protein kinase C, and specific arachidonic acid
metabolites. In addition, protooncogenes such as c-fos and c-myc
play a role in the signal transduction events associated with the
proliferation of hematopoietic cells. We are currently studying
the relationships between nuclear protein kinase C activation and
gene expression in target cells for hematopoietic growth factors.
We have also discovered a protein that stabilizes messenger RNA
for erythropoietin called ERBP (erythropoietin RNA binding
protein). In addition to their inherent biological relevance, the
molecular mechanisms elucidated will have long-range implications
for our understanding of alterations in signal transduction
events which result in the loss of differentiation and
unregulated proliferation of cancer cells.
Established erythroleukemia and breast cancer cell lines serve
as model systems to examine critical lipid signalling pathways
for proliferation and differentiation as well as programmed cell
death (apoptosis). In recent studies we have identified G-protein
linked phospholipase C and D activation in response to EPO.
Protein kinase C activation in the nucleus is an early signal
transduction event that is linked to changes in gene expression.
Environmental stimuli such as EMF and gamma-irradiation have also
been investigated to determine their effects on the lipid
signalling pathways identified in our model systems.
A listing of reseach publications for Barbara S. Beckman.
Back to the Faculty Home Page
Last updated on
April 3, 2007