Welcome to the Lyon Lab!
Cardiovascular disease is a growing problem worldwide and the leading cause of death in the United States. Phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes, in particular PLCβ and PLCε, are essential for normal cardiovascular function. These proteins generate second messengers that regulate the concentration of intracellular calcium and the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Dysregulation of calcium levels and PKC activity can result in cardiovascular diseases and heart failure. A new direction of research being explored is to understand how PLCε also functions as a tumor suppressor in certain cancers.
We use an innovative combination of structural biology, microscopy, biochemistry, biophysics, and cell biology to gain structural insights into how PLC enzymes are regulated by other proteins and the cell membrane. We collaborate with other researchers at Purdue and beyond to test structure-based hypotheses in more physiologically relevant conditions to generate mechanistic insights into these proteins, as well as generate small molecules that can be used to study the roles of PLCs in disease and serve as lead compounds for new therapeutics in cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Latest News
Congrats to our newest grad, Dr. Kaushik Muralidharan!
Leon Laskowski, Ketaki Mahurkar, and Hanna Bovill joined the lab!