Department of Medicine Faculty Profile

Viswanathan Natarajan
Section of Pulmonary / Critical Care
Professor of Medicine

e-mail: vnataraj@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

Training:

Degree	Year	Institution	Area
BS	1968	University of Bombay	Chemistry
MS	1970	University of Madras	Chemistry
PhD	1975	Indian Institute of Science	Biochemistry
Fellowship	1975	Indian Institute of Science	Biochemistry
Fellowship	1978	Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota	Peripheral Neuropathy

Academic Interests:

Dr. Natarajan is a well established and leading investigator on vascular biology, oxidant-induced lung injury, mechanisms of regulation of phospholipases A2 and D and generation of lipid second messengers such as oxygenated derivatives of arachidonic acid, phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid in the lung and role of bioactive lipids as modulators of airway inflammation and endothelial cell homeostasis. Dr. Natarajan’s laboratory has been actively investigating the role of NADPH oxidase sub-components and its homologs in production of reactive oxygen species leading to vascular leakiness and cross-talk between G-protein coupled receptors and growth factor receptors in lysophosphatidic acid mediated cytokine secretion and innate immunity. This translational research will lead to development of novel therapeutic interventions to reduce airway inflammation and pulmonary edema.

Representative Publications:

Chowdhury, A.K., Kleinberg, M.A., Saatian, B., Zhao, Y., Usatyuk, P.V., and Natarajan, V. Interaction between Src Kinase and p47-phox in Hyperoxia-induced NADPH oxidase activation in human lung endothelial cells. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 20700-20711, 2005
Zhao, Y., Usatyuk, P.V., Cummings, R., Saatian, B., He, DH. Watkins, T., Morris, A.J., Brindley, D.N., and Natarajan, V. Lipid Phosphatase-1 Regulates Lysophosphatidic Acid –Induced IL-8 Secretion in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells. Biochemical Journal 385: 493-502, 2005.
Rhett Cummings, Yutong Zhao, David Jacoby, William Spannhake, Tonya Watkins, Motoi Ohba, Joe G.N. Garcia and Viswanathan Natarajan. Protein Kinase C δ and NFκB Mediate Lysophosphatidic Acid-Induced IL-8 Secretion in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells. J.Biol. Chem. 279: 41085-41094, 2004
Usatyuk, P.V., Parinandi, N.L., Natarajan, V. Mitogen activated protein kinases regulates 4-Hydroxynonenal-induced actin rearrangement and endothelial barrier dysfunction. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 11789-11797, 2004
Parinandi, N.L., Usatyuk, P.V., Kleinberg, M.A, Pennathur, A., Zweier, J., Cummings, R., Cardounel, A.J., Garcia, J.G.N., and Natarajan, V. Hyperoxia-induced NAD [P] H oxidase activation and regulation by MAP kinases in human lung endothelial cells. Am J Physiology (Lung Cell Mol Physiology) 284:L26-L38, 2003