Bio
We are interested in the fundamental signaling pathways responsible for cellular growth in the skin. Cellular growth in the skin can occur in response to immune mediators as in psoriasis, as a result of infection with viruses as in verruca vulgaris, and secondary to UV radiation and DNA damage as in skin cancer. One signaling pathway known to have a key role in cellular growth in all mammalian cells is the cAMP pathway. We study a novel source of cAMP in mammalian cells discovered 10 years ago called soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC). This enzyme is unique in that it is present throughout the cell including the nucleus and mitochondria and, unlike other mammalian adenylyl cyclases, is not tethered to the plasma membrane. Investigation of this enzyme has proven useful for understanding the pathogenesis of diseases in organs such as the pancreas, kidney, brain, lung, and testes. We are currently exploring the role of this enzyme in pathogenesis of diseases of keratinocytes and melanocytes. In addition, we study the subcellular localization of this enzyme as a potential diagnostic for melanocytic proliferations.