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
lflau@uic.edu
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.