Associate professor
Umeå University, Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Phone: +46 (0)90 786 7762
Fax: +46 (0)90 786 9795
E-mail:
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Location: KBC building, 6th floor
Keywords: Ovary, follicular development, infertility, ovarian cancer, signal transduction, gene modified mice.
Group:
Krishna Jagarlamudi
Predeep Reddy
Deepak Adhikari
Wenjing Zheng
Shawn Liang
Nagaraju Gorre
Hairu Yang
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PI: Kui Liu
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Studies of Signals and Molecules Involved in Physiological and Pathological Processes of the Ovary
The mammalian ovary is a heterogenous organ consisting of follicles and copora lutea at various stages of development. The main functions of the ovary are to produce fertilizable ova and steroidogenesis. Menopause takes place when the pool of ovarian follicles is used up. Unfortunately, many pathological processes take place in the mammalian ovary, causing ovarian cancers and female infertility. Our major research interest is to identify the intra-ovarian-and especially the intra-oocyte-signals and molecules that contribute to the physiological and pathological changes in the ovaries. The molecules of interest are members of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, and those related to it.
The research team currently consists of 4 people: principal investigator Kui Liu and graduate students Pradeep Reddy, Krishna Jagarlamudi, and Deepak Adhikari. Most of the time we also have another 2-3 project students. We are constantly looking for highly motivated research students and postdocs. Our local collaborators include Drs Eva Lundin (Department of Pathology, Umeå University), Ulrika Ottander and Annika Idahl (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University). Our projects are supported by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), the Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden), the Lions Cancer Research Foundation, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (Denmark). For more information, please contact
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.
The group's most recent article, published in Science, has been commented in Nature Genetics. Read more here.
Selected Publications
1. Adhikari D, Zheng WZ, Hämäläinen T., Huhtaniemi I., and Liu K. Tsc/mTORC1 signaling in oocytes governs the quiescence and activation of primordial follicles. Human Molecular Genetics. 19(3):397-410. 2010.
2. Reddy P., Zheng W. and Liu K. Molecules and signals maintaining the dormancy and survival of ovarian primordial follicles. Review. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism. In press. 2010.
3. Jagarlamudi K., Reddy P, Adhikari D, and Liu K. Mice models for premature ovarian failure. Review. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. In press. 2010.
4. Adhikari D, Flohr G, Gorre N, Shen Y, Yang H, Lundin E, Lan Z, Gambello MJ, Liu K. Disruption of Tsc2 in oocytes leads to overactivation of the entire pool of primordial follicles. Molecular Human Reproduction. 15, 765-70. 2009.
5. Adhikari D, Liu K. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Activation of Mammalian Primordial Follicles. Review. Endocrine Reviews. 2009 Jul 9. [Epub ahead of print]
6. Jagarlamudi K., Liu L., Adhikari D., Reddy P., and Liu K. Oocyte-specific deletion of Pten in primordial or primary follicles in mice reveals a stage-specific function of PTEN/PI3K signaling in oocytes in controlling follicular activation. Accepted. PLoS ONE. 2009. Jul 9;4(7):e6186
7. Reddy P., Adhikari D., Zheng WZ, Liang S., Hämäläinen T., Tohonen V., Ogawa W., Noda T., Volarevic S., Huhtaniemi I., and Liu K. PDK1 signaling in oocytes controls reproductive aging and lifespan by manipulating the survival of primordial follicles. 2009. In press. Human Molecular Genetics.
8. Reddy P., Liu L., Adhikari D., Jagarlamudi K., Rajareddy S., Shen Y., Du C., Tang W.L., Hämäläinen T., Peng S.L., Lan Z.J., Cooney A.J., Huhtaniemi I. and Liu K. Oocyte-specific deletion of Pten causes premature activation of the primordial follicle pool. Science. 319 (5863): 611-613. 2008. (commented in Nature Genetics).
9. Rajareddy S., Reddy P., Du C., Liu L., Jagarlamudi K., Tang W.L., Shen Y., Berthet C., Peng. S.L., Kaldis P. and Liu K. p27kip1 (Cdkn1b) controls ovarian development by suppressing follicle endowment and activation, and promoting follicle atresia in mice. Molecular Endocrinology. 21, 2189-2202. 2007.
10. Liu L., Rajareddy S., Reddy P., Du C., Jagarlamudi K., Shen Y., Gunnarsson D., Selstam G., Boman K. and Liu K. Infertility caused by retardation of follicular development in mice with oocyte-specific expression of Foxo3a. Development. 134(1):199-209. 2007.
11. Liu K., Rajareddy S., Liu L., Boman K., Selstam G. and Reddy P. Control of Mammalian Oocyte Growth and Early Follicular Development by the Oocyte PI3 Kinase Pathway: New Roles for an Old Timer. Review. Dev. Biol. 299 (1), 1-11. 2006.
12. Reddy, P., Liu , L., Ren, C., Lindgren, P., Boman, K., Shen, Y., Lundin, E., Ottander, U., Rytinky, M., and Liu, K. Formation of E-cadherin Mediated Cell-Cell Adhesion Activates Akt and Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) via Phosphatidylinositol 3 Kinase and Ligand-Independent Activation of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) Receptor in Ovarian Cancer Cells. Mol. Endocrinol. 19 (10):2564-2578. 2005.
13. Reddy, P., Shen, L., Ren, C., Boman, K., Lundin, E., Ottander, U., Lindgren, P., Liu, Y.X., Sun, Q.Y., and Liu, K. Activation of Akt (PKB) and suppression of FKHRL1 in mouse and rat oocytes by stem cell factor during follicular activation and development. Dev Biol. 281(2):160-170. 2005.
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Research 
