Jonathan Jones
Title: Professor
Research area: Cell Adhesion and the Cytoskeleton
Degree: Ph.D., University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Voice: 312.503.1412
Fax: 312.503.6475
e-mail: j-jones3@northwestern.edu

Detailed research description:
Communication between cells and the environment is essential for development, homeostasis and repair of tissues. Our research in this area focuses on the interaction between epithelial cells and the extracellular matrix, particularly the role that laminin family members play in regulating the behavior of skin and lung cells.

 

One of our funded projects involves studying how cell surface receptors of the integrin family determine the precise pattern of deposition and assembly of laminin matrix. This matrix is key to the regulation of specific motile behavior patterns of keratinocytes and, thus, our studies have implications for skin wound healing and cancer. Our analyses involve molecular genetics, dissection of signaling cascades and live cell imaging. Indeed, we have pioneered the visualization of laminin matrix assembly by live cells.

 

In a second project, undertaken in collaboration with colleagues from the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, we have uncovered novel functions for laminin matrix in the transduction of mechanosignals in the alveolar epithelial compartment of the lung. We are currently working on how laminin regulates alveolar epithelial cell differentiation and how genetic manipulation of signaling pathways in alveolar epithelial cells impacts lung function in vivo.

Representative publications:            

deHart, G.W. and Jones, J.C.R. (2004). Myosin-mediated cytoskeleton contraction and Rho GTPases regulate laminin-5 matrix assembly. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 57:107-117.

 

DeHahn, K., Gonzales, M., Gonzalez, A.M., Hopkinson, S.B., Chandel, N., Brunelle, J. and Jones, J.C.R. (2004). The a4  laminin subunit regulates endothelial cell survival. Exp. Cell. Res. 294: 281-289.

 

.Jones, J.C.R., Lane, K., Hopkinson, S.B., Lecuona, E., Geiger, R.C., Dean, D.A., Correa-Meyer, E., Gonzales, M., Campbell, K., Sznajder, J.I. and Budinger, S. (2005). Laminin-6 assembles into multimolecular fibrillar complexes with perlecan and participates in mechano-signal transduction via a dystroglycan-dependent, integrin-independent, mechanism. J. Cell Sci. 118: 2557-2565.

 

Cowin, A.J., Adams, D., Geary, S.M., Wright, M.D., Jones, J.C.R. and Ashman, L.K. (2006). Epidermal wound healing is defective in mice lacking tetraspanin CD151. J. Invest. Derm., 126: 680-689.

 

DeBiase, P.J., Lane, K., Budinger, S., Ridge, K., Wilson, M., and Jones, J.C.R. (2006). Laminin-331 (laminin-6) fiber assembly by type I-like alveolar cells. J. Histo. Cytochem., 54: 665 - 672. 

 

Natarajan, E., Omobono II, J.D., Guo, Z., Hopkinson, S., Lazar, A., Brenn, T., Jones, J.C., and Rheinwald, J.G. (2006). A keratinocyte hypermotility/growth arrest response involving laminin 5 and p16INK4A activated in wound healing and senescence. Am. J Pathol. 168: 1821-1836.

 

Sehgal, B.U., Debiase, P., Matzno, S., Chew, T-L., Claiborne, J.N., Hopkinson, S.B., Russell, A., Marinkovich, P.M., and Jones, J.C.R. (2006). Integrin b4 regulates migratory behavior of keratinocytes by determining laminin-332 (laminin-5) matrix organization. J. Biol. Chem. 281:35487-35498.

 

Sugawara, K., Tsuruta, D., Kobayashi, H., Ikeda, K. Hopkinson, S.B., Jones, J.C.R. and Ishii, M. (2007). Spatial and temporal control of laminin-5 (332) and -10 (511) expression during the induction of anagen hair growth: Evidence for laminin-mediated regulation of hair elongation. J. Histo. Cytochem. 55: 43-55.

 

Werner, M.E., Chen, F., Moyano, J.V., Yehiely, F., Jones, J.C.R. and Cryns, V.L. (2007). Caspase proteolysis of the integrin b4  subunit disrupts hemidesmosome assembly, promotes apoptosis, and inhibits cell migration. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 5560 - 5569.

 

Li, Y., Lin, X., Kilani, R.T., Jones, J.C. and Ghahary, A.(2007). 14-3-3 sigma isoform interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of the transmembrane BP180 in keratinocytes. J. Cell Physiol. In Press.

 

Kligys, K., Claiborne, J.N., DeBiase, P., Hopkinson, S.B., Mizuno, K. and Jones, J.C.R. The Slingshot family of phosphatases mediates Rac1 regulation of cofilin phosphorylation, laminin-332 organization and motility behavior of keratinocytes. J. Biol. Chem., In press.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In press.

 

(click images to enlarge)