Joseph A. Caruso, Ph.D.

Wayne State University
Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

 

Tel.

(313) 965-8394

Fax.

(313) 577- 0082

Email:

Joseph_Caruso@wayne.edu

Address:

Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Wayne State University
2727 Second Avenue, Room 4000
Detroit, MI 48201-2654
     
Research Interests:    

1)     Role of lipid rafts in the organization of signaling proteins.

Lipid rafts are membrane microdomains enriched in lipids, cholesterol and proteins. Studies in my lab are aimed at determining the function of lipid rafts during the development of breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. 

2)     Development of mass spectrometry-based approaches for proteomic research.

As a member of the Protein Interaction and Proteomics Core Facility, we are developing  protocols for detection of post-translational modifications, determining relative protein quantitation by chemically labeling proteins/peptides, and analyses of proteomes for systems biology projects.
     
Select Publications:    
Caruso JA and Batist G (1999) Divergent mechanisms for loss of Ah-responsiveness in benzo[a]pyrene- and adriamycin-resistant MCF-7 cells. Biochemical Pharmacology 57:1253-1263

Caruso JA, Laird DW and Batist G (1999) Role of HSP90 in mediating cross-talk between the estrogen receptor and Ah receptor signal transduction pathways. Biochemical Pharmacology 58:1395-1403

Caruso JA, Reiners JJ Jr, Émond J, Shultz T, Tainsky MA, Alaoui-Jamali M and Batist G (2001) Genetic alteration of chromosome 8 is a common feature of human mammary epithelial cell lines transformed in vitro with benzo[a]pyrene. Mutation Research 473:85-99

Kessel D, Caruso JA and Reiners JJ Jr (2001) Potentiation of photodynamic therapy by ursodeoxycholic acid. Cancer Research 60:6985-6988

Reiners JJ Jr, Caruso JA, Mathieu P, Chelladurai C, Yin X-M and Kessel D (2002) Release of cytochrome c and activation of pro-caspase-9 following lysosomal photodamage involves Bid cleavage. Cell Death & Differentiation 9:934-944.

Caruso JA, Mathieu P, Joiakim A, Leeson B, Kessel D, Sloane BF and Reiners JJ Jr (2004) Differential susceptibilities of murine hepatoma 1c1c7 and Tao cells to the lysosomal photosensitizer NPe6: Influence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor on lysosomal fragility and protease contents. Molecular Pharmacology 65:1016-1028.

Caruso JA, Mathieu P and Reiners JJ Jr (2005) Sphingomyelins suppress the targeted disruption of lysosomes/endosomes by the lysosomal sensitizer NPe6 in photodynamic therapy protocols. Biochemical Journal 392:325-334.

Caruso JA, Mathieu P, Joiakim A, Zhang H and Reiners JJ Jr (2006) Aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulation of TNFα-induced apoptosis and lysosomal disruption in a hepatoma model that is caspase-8 independent. Journal of Biological Chemistry 281:10954-10967.

Caruso JA and Reiners JJ Jr (2006) Proteolysis of HIP during apoptosis occurs within a region similar to the BID loop. Apoptosis 11:1877-1885.