University of Rochester: Vera Gorbunova

Vera Gorbunova

Professor

Contact Information:

University of Rochester
Department of Biology
River Campus Box 270211
Rochester, New York 14627-0211

Hutchison 434 (office)
Hutchison 425 (lab)

vera.gorbunova@rochester.edu

(585) 275-7740 (office)
(585) 275-6637 (lab)

Vera Gorbunova

Research Overview

Our research is focused on Aging, DNA repair, and Cancer.

Aging is one of the biggest mysteries of biology. "Why we age?" is a basic biological question, and at the same time it is highly medically relevant. Aging is associated in accumulation of mutations and genomic instability. We study age-related changes in repair of DNA double-strand breaks using human cells and transgenic mice. We are also using comparative approach to study aging by analyzing short- and long-lived animal species. Finally, as aging is associated with increased cancer incidence, we study DNA repair in breast cancer cells, and anti-cancer mechanisms in short- and long-lived rodents.

To learn more about our research, please visit our lab website Gorbunova Lab.

Publications

Mao Z., Ke Z., Gorbunova V., and Seluanov A. 2012. Replicatively senescent cells are arrested in G1 and G2 phases. Aging, In press
Mao Z., Tian X., VanMeter M., Gorbunova V., and Seluanov A. 2012. SIRT6 rescues senescence-related decline in DNA repair by homologous recombination. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, In press
Rahman I, Kinnula VL, Gorbunova V, Yao H. 2012. SIRT1 as a therapeutic target in inflammaging of the pulmonary disease. Prev Med. 2012, 54 Suppl:S20-8
Hine C., Seluanov A., Gorbunova V. 2012. Rad51 promoter targeted gene therapy is effective for in vivo visualization and treatment of cancer. Molecular therapy, 20(2):347-55
Fong, V., Osterbur M., Kim Y., Hine C., Gorbunova V., Seluanov A., and Dewhurst S. 2011. Adenoviral vector driven by a minimal Rad51 promoter is selective for p53-deficient tumor cells. PLOS One, 6(12):e28714
VanMeter M., Mao Z., Gorbunova V., and Seluanov A. 2011. Repairing split ends: SIRT6, mono-ADP ribosylation and DNA repair. Aging, (9):829-35
VanMeter M., Gorbunova V., and Seluanov A. 2011. Sirt6 overexpression induces massive apoptosis in cancer cells but not in normal cells. Cell Cycle, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15888314:3153-8
Mao Z., Hine C., VanMeter M., Tian X., Vaidya A., Seluanov A. and Gorbunova V. 2011. SIRT6 promotes DNA repair under stress by mono-ADP-ribosylating PARP1. Science, 17;332(6036):1443-6.*
*Comment in: Sirtuin 6 and DNA Repair, Guy Riddihough, Science Signaling 21 June 2011: ec177.
*Selected for Faculty of 1000
Seluanov A., Vaidya A., and Gorbunova V. 2010. Establishing primary adult fibroblast cultures from rodents. JoVE, 8;(43). pii: 2002. doi: 10.3791/2002
Seluanov A., Mao Z., and Gorbunova V. 2010. Analysis of DNA Double-Strand Break (DSB) Repair in Mammalian Cells. JoVE, Oct 5;(44). pii: 2033. doi: 10.3791/2033
Seluanov A., Hine C., Azpurua J., Feigenson M., Mao Z., Catania K.C., and Gorbunova V. 2009. Naked mole-rat cells are hypersensitive to contact inhibition – a clue to extraordinary cancer resistance. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, USA, 106(46):19352-7.**
**Received Cozzarelli Prize for a paper of outstanding scientific excellence and originality published in 2009
**Selected for Faculty of 1000
Mao Z., Jiang Y., Seluanov A., and Gorbunova V. 2009. DNA repair by homologous recombination, but not by nonhomologous end joining, is elevated in breast cancer cells. Neoplasia, 11(7):683-691.
Gorbunova, V., and A. Seluanov. 2009. Coevolution of telomerase activity and body mass in mammals: from mice to beavers. Mech. Aging Dev., 130(1-2):3-9.
Hine, C., Seluanov, A., and V. Gorbunova. 2008. Use of Rad51 promoter for targeted anticancer therapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci 105(53):20810-5.
Mao, Z., Bozzella, M., Seluanov, A., and V. Gorbunova. 2008. DNA repair by nonhomologous end joining and homologous recombination during cell cycle in human cells. Cell Cycle 7(18):2902-6.
Seluanov, A., Hine, C., Bozzella, M., Hall, A., Sasahara, T.H.C., Ribeiro, A.A.C.M., Catania, K.C., Presgraves, D.C., and V. Gorbunova. 2008. Distinct tumor suppressor mechanisms evolve in rodent species that differ in size and lifespan. Aging Cell 7(6):813-823.
Mao, Z., Bozzella, M., Seluanov, A., and V. Gorbunova. 2008. Comparison of nonhomologous end joining and homologous recombination in human cells. DNA Repair (Amst) 7(10):1765-71.
Gorbunova, V., Bozella, M., and A. Seluanov. 2008. Rodents for comparative aging studies: from mice to beavers. Age 30(2-3):111-119. (Invited review)
Dion, V., Lin, Y., Price, B.A., Fyffe, S. L., Seluanov, A., Gorbunova, V., and J.H. Wilson. 2008. Genome-wide demethylation promotes triplet repeat instability independently of homologous recombination. DNA Repair (Amst) 7(2):313-20.
Gorbunova, V., Seluanov A., Mao Z., and Hine C. 2007. Changes in DNA repair during Aging. Nucleic Acids Res. 35(22):7466-74. (Invited review)
Seluanov A., Danek J., and V. Gorbunova. 2007. Changes in the level and distribution of Ku proteins during cellular senescence. DNA Repair (Amst) 6(12):1740-8.
Mao Z., Seluanov A., Jiang Y., and V. Gorbunova. 2007. TRF2 is required for repair of non-telomeric DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 104(32):13068-13073.
Seluanov A., Chen Z., Hine C., Sasahara T.H.C., Ribeiro A.A.C.M., Catania K.C., Presgraves D.C., and V. Gorbunova. 2007. Telomerase Activity Coevolves with Body Mass not Lifespan. Aging Cell 6(1): 45-52.
Shi X, Seluanov A, and V. Gorbunova. 2006. Cell divisions are required for L1 retrotransposition. Mol. Cell. Biol. 27(4):1264-1270.
Gorbunova, V. and A. Seluanov. 2005. Making ends meet in old age: DSB repair and aging. Mech. Aging Dev. 126(6-7):621-628. (Invited Review)
Seluanov, A., Mittelman, D., Pereira-Smith, O.M., Wilson, J.H., and V. Gorbunova. 2004. DNA repair by nonhomologous end joining becomes less efficient and more error-prone during cellular senescence. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 101(20):7624-7629.
Gorbunova, V., Seluanov, A., Mittelman, D. and J.H. Wilson. 2004. Genome-wide demethylation destabilizes CTGáCAG trinucleotide repeats in mammalian cells. Human Molecular Genetics 13(23):2979-2989.
Gorbunova, V., and A. Seluanov. 2003. Telomerase as a growth promoting factor. Cell Cycle 2(6):534-537.
Gorbunova, V., Seluanov, A., Dion, V., Sandor, Z., Meservy, J.L., and J.H. Wilson. 2003. Selectable system for monitoring the instability of CTGáCAG triplet repeats in mammalian cells. Mol. Cell Biol. 23(13):4485-4493.
Gorbunova, V., Seluanov, A., and O.M. Pereira-Smith. 2003. Evidence that high telomerase activity may induce a senescent-like growth arrest in normal human fibroblasts. J. Biol. Chem. 278(9):7692-7698.
Gorbunova V., Seluanov A., and O.M. Pereira-Smith. 2002. Expression of hTERT protects normal human fibroblasts from stress-induced apoptosis and necrosis but does not prevent stress-induced premature senescence. J. Biol. Chem. 277(41):38540-38549.
Gorbunova V. and A. Seluanov. 2002. CLK-1 protein has DNA binding activity specific to OL region of mitochondrial DNA. FEBS Lett. 516(1-3):279-284.
Seluanov, A., Gorbunova, V., Falcovitz, A., Sigal, A., Milyavsky, M., Zurer., I., Shohat, G., Goldfinger, N. and V. Rotter. 2001. Change of the death pathway in senescent human fibroblasts in response to DNA damage is caused by an inability to stabilize p53. Mol. Cell Biol. 21(5):1552-1564.
Gorbunova, V., Avivi-Ragolski, N., Shalev, G., Kovalchuk, I., Abbo, S., Hohn, B. and A.A. Levy. 2000. A new hyperrecombinogenic mutant of nicotiana tabacum. Plant J. 24(5):601-11.
Gorbunova, V. and A.A. Levy. 2000. Analysis of extrachromosomal Ac/Ds transposable elements. Genetics 155(1):349-359.
Gorbunova, V., Ramos, C., Hohn, B., and A.A. Levy. 2000. A nuclear protein that binds specifically to several maize transposons is not essential for Ds1 excision. Mol. Gen. Genet. 263(3):492-497.
Gorbunova, V. and A.A. Levy. 1999. How plants make ends meet: DNA double-strand break repair. Trends Plant Sci. 4(7):263-269.
Gorbunova, V. and A.A. Levy. 1997. Nonhomologous DNA end joining in plant cells is associated with deletions and filler DNA insertions. Nucleic Acids Res. 25:4650-4657.
Gorbunova, V. and A.A. Levy. 1997. Circularized Ac/Ds transposons: formation, structure and fate. Genetics 145:1161-1169.