Adi Dubash
Henry Keith and Ellen Hard Townes Assistant Professor of Biology
- Email: adi.dubash@furman.edu
- Phone: 864.294.3580
- Office: TNS 171F
Dr. Adi Dubash grew up in Mumbai, India. While always fascinated with Biology, his interest in an academic and scientific career was sparked by his work as an undergraduate researcher, studying breast cancer cells at The University of Texas at Austin. After graduating with a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, he went on to complete a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a graduate student, his first author publication received the Best Paper of the Year Award in 2007 from the Journal of Cell Science.
Continuing his research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University, Dr. Dubash’s work focused on understanding how attachment between cells is important for both normal tissue structure and onset of disease. Dr. Dubash’s postdoctoral tenure was strongly influenced by his involvement in mentoring students, and he is passionate about engaging undergraduates in rich and rewarding research experiences.
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University
- Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- B.S., University of Texas at Austin
Research
For any multicellular organism, attachment between cells is crucial for normal tissue function. These attachments (or adhesions) are made up of large complexes of proteins, which provide both the physical connection between cells and also signaling cues required for a cell to survive, divide, migrate, and perform numerous other normal functions. In cancerous cells, changes in cell adhesion proteins contributes significantly to their altered behavior.
Dr. Dubash’s research investigates the coordination between cell adhesion and different signaling pathways, in an effort to deduce their involvement in cancerous phenotypes such as uncontrolled growth, altered cell shape and migration. In particular, he has a focused interest in studying how the Rho GTPase family of signaling proteins regulates the desmosome adhesion complex. Undergraduates in his lab use a variety of biochemical, molecular and cellular approaches to investigate the involvement of cell adhesion in the progression of cancer.
Publications
- Bendrick JL*, Eldredge LA*, Williams EI*, Haight NB*, Dubash AD. (2019) Desmoplakin Harnesses Rho GTPase and p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling to Coordinate Cellular Migration. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2019 Jun; 139(6):1227-1236.
- Kam CY, Dubash AD, Magistrati E, Polo S, Satchell KJF, Sheikh F, Lampe P, Green KJ.(2018)Desmoplakin maintains gap junctions by inhibiting Ras/MAPK and lysosomal degradation of connexin-43. Journal of Cell Biology, 2018. doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201710161.
- Dubash AD*, Kam CY*, Aguado, BA, Patel DM, Delmar M, Shea LD, Green KJ. (2016) (*co-first authors) Plakophilin-2 loss promotes TGF b1/p38 MAPK-dependent fibrotic gene expression in cardiomyocytes. Journal of Cell Biology, 212(4):425-38.
- Albrecht LV, Green KJ, Dubash AD. (2016) The Cadherin Superfamily – Key Regulators of Animal Development and Physiology - Chapter 14: Cadherins in Cancer. Springer 2016, ISBN: 978-4-431-56031-9.
- Patel DM, Dubash AD, Kreitzer G, Green KJ. (2014) Desmoplakin (DP) mutations misregulate gap junctions by disrupting a novel DP-EB1 interaction. Journal of Cell Biology, 206(6):779-97.
- Dubash AD, Koetsier JL, Harmon RH, Najor NA, Amargo EA, Green KJ. (2013) The GEF Bcr regulates Rho/MAL signaling in keratinocytes and differentiation via Desmoglein-1. Journal of Cell Biology, 202(4):653-66.
- Guilluy C*, Dubash AD*, García-Mata R. (*co-first authors) (2011) Analysis of RhoA and Rho GEF activity in whole cells and the cell nucleus. Nature Protocols, 6(12):2050-60.
- Dubash AD, Green KJ. (2011) Desmosomes. Current Biology, 21(14):R529-31.
- Dubash AD*, Guilluy C*, Srougi MC, Boulter E, Burridge K, García-Mata R. (*co-first authors) (2011) RhoA activity in the nucleus is regulated by Net1 and is involved in the DNA damage response. PLoS One, 6(2):e17380.
- Godsel LM, Dubash AD, Bass-Zubek AE, Amargo EV, Hobbs RP, Green KJ. (2010) Plakophilin 2 Couples Actomyosin Remodeling to Desmosomal Plaque Assembly via RhoA. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 21(16):2844-59.
- Dubash AD, Menold MM, Samson T, García-Mata R, Boulter E, Doughman R, Burridge K. (2009) Focal Adhesions: New angles on an old structure. International Reviews in Cell and Molecular Biology, 277:1-65.
- García-Mata R, Dubash AD, Sharek L, Carr HS, Frost JA, Burridge K. (2007) The nuclear RhoA exchange factor Net1 interacts with proteins of the Dlg family, affects their localization, and influences their tumor suppressor activity. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 27(24):8683-97.
- Dubash AD, Wennerberg K, García-Mata R, Menold MM, Arthur WT, Burridge K. (2007) A novel role for Lsc/p115 RhoGEF and LARG in regulating RhoA activity downstream of adhesion to fibronectin. Journal of Cell Science, 120(Pt 22):3989-98.