School of Medicine

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Welcome to the DeGracia Laboratory

 

Jill, George, Jennifer, Don, Monique, Foaz, Jie

CONTACT INFO
4116 Scott Hall                                        (313) 577-6745 (office)
540 E. Canfield                                        (313) 577-3948 (lab)
Detroit, MI 48201                                     email: ddegraci@med.wayne.edu
 
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
We study the mechanisms of cell death following brain ischemia and reperfusion, focusing on the causes and consequences of reperfusion-induced inhibition of protein synthesis, or translation arrest.  This translation arrest appears to be part of the post-ischemic neuronal stress response.  We have evaluated classical ribosome biochemistry, intracellular stress responses and most recently began investigating mRNA regulatory mechanisms, including stress granules and HuR granules.

Dr. DeGracia is currently funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH.

 
MICROSCOPY
3D microscope reconstructions of neurons. LAST UPDATE: Sept. 25, 2007. Click button to the left.
 
BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY
  1. Jamison JT, Kayali F, Rudolph J, Marshall M, Kimball SR, DeGracia DJ. Persistent redistribution of poly-adenylated mRNAs correlates with translation arrest and cell death following global brain ischemia and reperfusion. Neuroscience. 2008 Apr 1. [Epub ahead of print].
  2. Roberts GG, Di Loreto MJ, Marshall M, Wang J, DeGracia DJ. Hippocampal cellular stress responses after global brain ischemia and reperfusion. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2007 Dec;9(12):2265-75.
  3. DeGracia DJ, Rudolph J, Roberts GG, Rafols JA, Wang J. Convergence of stress granules and protein aggregates in hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 at later reperfusion following global brain ischemia. Neuroscience. 2007 May 11;146(2):562-72.
  4. DeGracia DJ & Hu BR.  Irreversible translation arrest in the reperfused brain. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2007 May;27(5):875-93.
  5. DeGracia DJ, Rafols JA, Morley SJ, Kayali F. Immunohistochemical Mapping of Total and Phosphorylated eIF4G In Rat Hippocampus Following Global Brain Ischemia and Reperfusion. Neuroscience. 2006;139(4):1235-48.
  6. Kayali F, Montie HL, Rafols JA, DeGracia DJ. Prolonged Translation Arrest in Reperfused Hippocampal CA1 Is Mediated By Stress Granules. Neuroscience. 2005;134(4):1223-45.
  7. Montie HL, Haezebrouck AJ, Gutwald JC, DeGracia DJ. PERK Is Differentially Activated In Peripheral Organs Following Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation.  Resuscitation. 2005 Sep;66(3):379-89.
  8. Montie HL, Kayali F, Haezebrouck AJ, Rossi NF, DeGracia DJ. Renal Ischemia and Reperfusion Activates the eIF2 alpha kinase PERK. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2005 Sep 25;1741(3):314-24.
  9. DeGracia DJ, Montie HL. Cerebral ischemia and the unfolded protein response. J Neurochem. 2004 Oct;91(1):1-8.
  10. DeGracia DJ. Acute and persistent protein synthesis inhibition following cerebral reperfusion. J Neurosci Res. 2004 Sep 15;77(6):771-6.
  11. Kumar R, Krause GS, Yoshida H, Mori K, DeGracia DJ.  Dysfunction of the Unfolded Protein Response During Global Brain Ischemia and Reperfusion. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2003;23:462-471.
  12. DeGracia DJ, Kumar R, Owen C, Krause GS, White BC. Molecular Pathways of Protein Synthesis Inhibition During Brain Reperfusion: Implications For Neuronal Survival or Death. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2002 Feb;22(2):127-141.
  13. Kumar R, Azam S, Sullivan JM, Owen C, Cavener DR, Zhang P, Ron D, Harding HP, Chen JJ, Han A, White BC, Krause GS, DeGracia DJ. Brain ischemia and reperfusion activates the eukaryotic initiation factor 2a kinase,PERK. J. Neurochem. 2001;77:1418-1421.
  14. DeGracia DJ, Adamczyk S, Folbe AJ, Konkoly LL, Pittman JE, Neumar RW, Sullivan JM, Scheuner DL, Kaufman RJ, White BC, Krause GS.  Eukaryotic initiation factor 2a (eIF2a) kinase and phosphatase activity during post-ischemic brain reperfusion. Experimental Neurology, 1999;155(2):221-227.
  15. DeGracia DJ, Sullivan JM, Neumar RW, Alousi SS, Hikade KR, Pittman JE, White BC, Rafols JA, Krause GS.  Effect of brain ischemia and reperfusion  on the localization of phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2a. J Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. 1997;17:1291-1302.
  16. DeGracia DJ, Neumar RW, White, BC, Krause GS.  Global brain ischemia and reperfusion: Modifications in eukaryotic initiation factors are associated with inhibition of translation  initiation.  J Neurochem. 1996;67:2005-2012.