Kathleen K. Sulik, Ph.D.

Professor
Dept. of Cell Biology & Anatomy; joint appt. in Ophthalmology

Director
Fetal Toxicology Division, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies

Office | 3019 Thurston-Bowles Bldg, CB# 7178

Email | mouse@med.unc.edu

Research Interests

• See articles in Center Line Vol. 9 No. 3, Center Line Vol. 11 No. 2, and Center Line Vol. 13 No. 3 on Dr. Sulik's educational efforts to prevent FAS. See Center Line Vol. 8 No. 2 on her research into the causes of, and potential therapeutic approaches to, FAS.

Research in my laboratory is directed toward achieving a better understanding of the mechanisms and pathogenesis associated with a variety of environmentally induced or genetically based birth defects. This information is then applied to development of preventative/ameliorative measures relative to these defects. Our interest in modeling human genetic malformation syndromes and opportunities for collaborative efforts with molecular geneticists who have produced transgenic mice and mice with targeted gene modification have proven productive in our attempt to better understand the developmental basis for a variety of malformations of the brain including anencephaly, holoprosencephaly, and hydrocephaly.

Focusing on teratogens of significant human relevance (in particular, ethanol and retinoic acid), and using mice as our model system, we have identified selected cell populations that are particularly vulnerable to insult at specific embryonic developmental stages. Of special interest are malformations involving the craniofacial region, including failure of the neural tube to close. Since neural crest cell populations play a key role in the genesis of many of the induced malformations, we are currently focusing on characteristics of this cell population that impart its selective vulnerability to a variety of teratogens as well as genetically-based disturbances. Free radical damage appears to be a common feature underlying the pathogenesis and defects can be ameliorated with the addition of free radical scavengers.

Current investigations in this laboratory utilize new technologies for imaging and documenting changes that preceed toxicant-induced cell death; esp.changes involving intracellular ion concentrations, altered membrane fluidity, and free radical generation. Additional current research projects include studies regarding normal human neural tube closure; the genesis of hydrocephalus and cerebellar hypoplasia in mutant and teratogen-exposed animals; the pathogenesis associated with ethanol-induced ocular abnormalities: and the role of abnormal cholesterol biosynthesis in the induction of abnormalities as observed in a human genetically-based malformation syndrome.

Selected Publications

Click here for a list of publications from PubMed

Chen SY, Dehart DB, Sulik KK. Protection from ethanol-induced limb malformations by the superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetic, EUK-134. FASEB J. 2004 Aug;18(11):1234-6.

Wilkemeyer MF, Chen SY, Menkari CE, Sulik KK, Charness ME. Ethanol antagonist peptides: structural specificity without stereospecificity. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2004 Jun;309(3):1183-9.

Sulik K. Commentary on 'Fetal alcohol syndrome at the cellular level' by J. W. Olney. Addict Biol. 2004 May;9(2):151.

Waage-Baudet H, Lauder JM, Dehart DB, Kluckman K, Hiller S, Tint GS, Sulik KK. Abnormal serotonergic development in a mouse model for the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome: implications for autism. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2003 Dec;21(8):451-9.

Sulik KK. An atlas of gastrointestinal embryology. Am J Med Genet. 2003 Nov 1;122A(4):283-6. No abstract available.

Wilkemeyer MF, Chen SY, Menkari CE, Brenneman DE, Sulik KK, Charness ME. Differential effects of ethanol antagonism and neuroprotection in peptide fragment NAPVSIPQ prevention of ethanol-induced developmental toxicity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Jul 8;100(14):8543-8. Epub 2003 Jun 13.

Dunty WC Jr, Zucker RM, Sulik KK. Hindbrain and cranial nerve dysmorphogenesis result from acute maternal ethanol administration. Dev Neurosci. 2002;24(4):328-42.

Dunty WC Jr, Chen SY, Zucker RM, Dehart DB, Sulik KK. Selective vulnerability of embryonic cell populations to ethanol-induced apoptosis: implications for alcohol-related birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2001 Oct;25(10):1523-35.

Sulik KK, Dehart DB, Johnson CS, Ellis SL, Chen SY, Dunty WC Jr, Zucker RM. Programmed cell death in extraocular muscle tendon/sclera precursors. Mol Vis. 2001 Aug 11;7:184-91.

Chen SY, Wilkemeyer MF, Sulik KK, Charness ME. Octanol antagonism of ethanol teratogenesis. FASEB J. 2001 Jul;15(9):1649-51.

Chen SY, Sulik KK. Iron-mediated free radical injury in ethanol-exposed mouse neural crest cells. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 200 Jul;294(1):134-40.

Chen SY, Periasamy A, Yang B, Herman B, Jacobson K, Sulik KK. Differential sensitivity of mouse neural crest cells to ethanol-induced toxicity. Alcohol. 2000 Jan;20(1):75-81.

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