Sang-Ho Kwon, PhD

 

ABOUT OUR TEAM

We are interested in extracellular vesicles, particularly exosomes—a type of extracellular vesicles released after the fusion of multivesicular endosomes and the cell surface membrane. Because extracellular vesicles encapsulate intracellular small and macromolecules, they can mirror the intracellular states of cells at the molecular levels. Further, recent data suggest these vesicles can not only play roles in extracellular space but also serve as intercellular messengers under certain conditions. To understand how these vesicles are generated and how their release can modulate the cellular states of the recipient cells, we currently probe their biogenesis and roles in epithelial growth. 

OUR PROJECTS

Extracellular vesicle biogenesis in epithelial cells

• Extracellular vesicles can mirror the disease states of cells. We study how cargo proteins and RNAs are selected and loaded in/on exosomes at the molecular levels, using genome-editing, RNA-Seq, mass spectrometry, and imaging.

Extracellular vesicles in kidney injuries

• Extracellular vesicles can modulate gene expression via their release and uptake to their target cells. We study extracellular vesicle-loaded proteins and RNAs in kidney injury, using tubules-on-dish and animal models.

Exosome toolboxes

• Though exosomes hold great potential for biomarkers and therapeutic factor delivery, we still lack effective and reliable isolation, detection, and functionalization methods. We are working on exosome toolboxes to tackle these challenges.   

CURRENT TEAM MEMBERS

Group Leader
Sang-Ho Kwon, Ph.D.

Lab manager
Byung-Rho Lee, Ph.D.

Postdoc
Heo Dan, Ph.D.
Hisakatsu Sone, DDS. Ph.D.

Student
Zeal Dobariya
Maia Vaselaros
Diana Mejia

Former lab members:
Hiroko Sonoda, Ph.D. (Visiting Professor)
Bethany Sanstrum, Ph.D. (PostDoc)
Augustine Song (MSP student)
Christy Lee (MSP student)
Chenglong Li, M.D. (Postdoc)
Chang Min Lee (graduate student)
Joyce Kim (Medical student)
Robin Yi (Medical student)
Michelle Lin (Medical student)

CONTACT

Sang-Ho Kwon, Ph.D.
Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Augusta, GA 30912

Publications

1. Kwon SH, Guggino WB
“Multiple sequences in the C-terminus of MaxiK channels are involved in expression, movement to the cell surface and apical localization” 
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, PMID: 15469924 (2004)

2. Caruso-Neves C, Kwon SH, Guggino WB
“Albumin endocytosis in proximal tubule cells is modulated by angiotensin II through AT2 receptor-mediated protein kinase B activation”
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, PMID: 16293694 (2005)

3. Kwon SH, Pollard H, Guggino WB
“Knockdown of NHERF1 enhances degradation of temperature rescued DeltaF508 CFTR from the cell surface of human airway cells”
Cell Physiol Biochem, PMID: 17982258 (2007)

4. Kim M, O'Brien LE, Kwon SH, Mostov KE
“STAT1 is required for redifferentiation during Madin-Darby canine kidney tubulogenesis”
Molecular Biology of the Cell, PMID: 20861313 (2010)

5. Kwon SH, Nedvetsky PI, Mostov KE
“Transcriptional profiling identifies TNS4 function in epithelial tubulogenesis"
Current Biology, PMID: 21236678 (2011)

6. Nedvetsky PI, Kwon SH, Debnath J, Mostov KE
“cyclic AMP regulates formation of mammary epithelial acini in vitro”
Molecular Biology of the Cell, PMID: 22675028 (2012)

7. Tukayae DN, Kwon SH, Guggino WB 
“The Gap portion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secreted toxin ExoS upregulates total and surface levels of wild type CFTR”
Cell Physiol Biochem, PMID: 23428533 (2013)

8. Kwon SH, Liu KD, Mostov KE 
“Intercellular transfer of GPRC5B via exosomes drives HGF-mediated outward growth”
Current Biology, PMID: 24412205 (2014)

9. Baek JI, Kwon SH, Zuo X, Choi SY, Kim SH, Lipschutz JH
“Dynamin binding protein (Tuba) deficiency inhibits ciliogenesis and nephrogenesis in vitro and in vivo”
Journal of Biological Chemistry, PMID: 26895965 (2016)

10. Kwon SH*, Oh SK*, Nacke M, Mostov KE, Lipschutz JH 
“CD2AP and LMAN2 regulates exosome cargo protein trafficking through the Golgi Complex"
Journal of Biological Chemistry, PMID: 27765817 (2016)

11. Sagar A, Arif E, Solanski AK, SrivastavaP, Janech MG, Kim SH, Lipschutz JH, Kwon SH, Nihalani D
“Targeting Neph1 and ZO-1 protein-protein interaction in podocyte prevents podocyte injury and preserves glomerular filtration function”
Scientific Reports, PMID: 28935902 (2017)

12. Zealy RW, Fomin M, Davila S, Makowsky D, Thigpen H, McDowell CH, Cummings JC, Lee ES, Kwon SH, Min KW, Yoon JH
“Long noncoding RNA complementarity and target transcripts abundance”
Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech, PMID: 29421307 (2018)

13. Min KW, Zealy RW, Davila S, Fomin M, Cummings JC, Makowsky D, Mcdowell CH, Thigpen H, Hafner M, Kwon SH, Georgescu C, Wren JD, Yoon JH
“Profiling of m6A RNA modifications identified as age-associated regulation of AGO2 mRNA stability”
Aging Cell, PMID: 29573145 (2018)

14. Srivastava P, Solanki AK, Wolk BJ, Janech MG, Budisavjevic MN, Kwon SH, Nihalani D
“Development of a novel cell-based assay to diagnose recurrent focal and segmental Glomerulosclerosis”
Kidney International, PMID: 30709661 (2019)

15. Arif E, Solanki A, Srivastava P, Rhman B, Tash BR, Holzman LB, Janech MG, Martin R, Knolker HJ, Fitzgibbon WR, Deng P, Budisavljevic MN, Syn WK, Wang C, Lipschutz JH, Kwon SH, Nihalani D
“The motor protein Myo1c regulates transforming growth factor—signaling and fibrosis in podocytes”
Kidney International, PMID: 31097328 (2019)

16. Wang S, Kwon SH, Su Y, Dong Z
“Stress granules are formed in renal proximal tubule cells during metabolic stress and ischemic injury for cell survival”
Am J Phyiol Renal Physiol, PMID: 31091124 (2019)

17. Sonoda H, Lee BR, Park KH, Nihalani D, Yoon JH, Ikeda M, Kwon SH
“miRNA profiling of urinary exosomes to assess the progression of acute kidney injury”
Scientific Reports, PMID: 30886169 (2019)

18. Arif E, Solanki AK, Srivastava P, Rhaman B, Fitzgibbon WR, Deng P, Budisavljevic MN, Baicu CF, Zile MR, Megyesi J, Janech MG, Kwon SH, Collier J, Schnellmann RG, Nihalani D
“Mitochondria biogenesis induced by 2-adrenergic receptor agonist formoterol accelerates podocyte recovery from glomerular injury”
Kidney International, PMID: 31262488 (2019)

19. Solanski AK, Widmeier E, Arif E, Sharma S, Daga A, Srivastava P, Kwon SH, Hugo H, Nakayama M, Mann N, Majmundar AJ, Tan W, Gee HY, Sadowski CE, Rinat C, Becker-Cohen R, Bergmann C, Rosen S, Somers M, Shril S, Huber TB, Mane S, Hilderbrandt F, Nihalani D.
“Mutations in KIRREL1, a slit diaphragm component, causes steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome”
Kidney International, PMID: 31472902 (2019)

20. Zuo X, Kwon SH, Janech MG, Dang Y, Lauzon SD, Fogelgren B, Polgar N, Lipschutz JH
“Primary cilia and the exocysts are linked to urinary extracellular vesicle production and content”
Journal of Biological Chemistry, PMID: 31694916 (2019)

21. Lee BR, Sanstrum BJ, Liu Y, and Kwon SH
“Distinct role of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) in inhibiting cargo-loading and release of extracellular vesicles”
Scientific Reports, PMID: 31882861 (2019)

22. Wang T, Kwon SH, Peng X, Urdy S, Lu Z, Schmitz RJ, Dalton S, Mostov KE, Zhao S
“A Qualitative change in the transcriptome occurs after the first cell cycle and coincides with lumen establishment during MDCKII cytogenesis”
iScience, PMID: 33089114 (2020)

23. Zeng M, Wen J, Ma Zhengwei, Xiao L, Liu Y, Kwon SH, Liu Y, Dong Z
“FOXO1-mediated downregulation of Rab27B leads to decreased exosome secretion in diabetic kidneys”
Diabetes, PMID: 33597203 (2021)

24. Solanki AK, Arif E, Srivastava P, Furcht CM, Rahman B, Wen P, Singh A, Holzman LB, Fitzgibbon WR, Budisavljevic MN, Lobo P, Kwon SH, Han Z, Lazzara MJ, Lipschutz JH, Nihalani D 
“Phosphorylation of slit diaphragm proteins NEHRIN and NEPH1 upon binding of HGF promotes podocyte repair”
Journal of Biological Chemistry, PMID: 34391780 (2021)

25. Oh SK and Kwon SH
“Extracellular vesicles in acute kidney injury and clinical applications”
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, PMID: 34445618 (2021)

26. Kim GT, Devi S, Sharma A, Cho KH, Kim SJ, Kim BR, Kwon SH* and Park TS
“Upregulation of the serine palmitoyltransferase subunit SPTLC2 by endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibits the hepatic insulin response”
Experimental and Molecular Medicine, PMID: 35513574 (2022)
*Co-corresponding author

27. Lee HK, Lee BR, Lee TJ, Lee CL, Li C, O’Connor PM, Dong Z, and Kwon SH
“Differential release of extracellular vesicle tRNA from oxidative stressed renal cells and ischemic kidneys”
Scientific Reports, PMID: 35102218 (2022)

28. Oh SK and Kwon SH
“Extracellular vesicles that herald the scarcity of oxygen”
Kidney Diseases, PMID: 35702703 (2022)

29. Lee BR, Lee TJ, Oh SK, Li C, Song JH, Marshall B, Zhi W, and Kwon SH
“Ascorbate peroxidase-mediated in situ labeling of proteins in secreted exosomes”
Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, PMID: 35716063 (2022)

30. Oh SK, Lee CM, Song, and Kwon SH
“Extracellular vesicle microRNA in the kidney”
Comprehensive Physiology, Accepted (2023)