EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Ph.D., Zhejiang University, Department of Chemistry, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China

Fellowship, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Fellowship, University of Washington, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Seattle, WA

OFFICE ADDRESS

University of Washington School of Medicine
1959 NE Pacific Street
UW Mailbox 356426
Seattle, WA 98195-6426



CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

HDL – the good form of cholesterol – is cardioprotective in humans.  One important pathway is mediated by ABCA1, a membrane-associated ATP binding cassette transporter that clears cholesterol from macrophage foam cells.  My research focuses on the impact of oxidative modifications of HDL by myeloperoxidase (MPO), a heme enzyme secreted by macrophages, on the ability of HDL to promote cholesterol transport by the ABCA1 pathway.  One major effort centers on using cell biology and tandem mass spectrometric approaches to pinpoint specific amino acid residues in HDL that play a critical role in cholesterol transport.  Another area of interest is the identification of novel HDL oxidation products in vitro and in vivo.  Our long term goal is to understand the role of oxidative reactions in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, diabetes and other inflammatory diseases.



REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

Shao B, Bergt C, Fu X, Green P, Voss JC, Oda MN, Oram JF, and Heinecke JW:  Tyrosine 192 in apolipoprotein A-I is the major site of nitration and chlorination by myeloperoxidase, but only chlorination markedly impairs ABCA1-dependent cholesterol transport.  J Biol Chem 280: 5983-5993, 2005.

Shao B, Belaaouaj A, Verlinde CLMJ, Fu X, and Heinecke JW:  Methionine sulfoxide and proteolytic cleavage contribute to the inactivation of cathepsin G by hypochlorous acid:  An oxidative mechanism for regulation of serine proteinases by myeloperoxidase.  J Biol Chem 280: 29311-29321, 2005.

Shao B, Fu X, McDonald TO, Green PS, Uchida K, O'Brien KD, Oram JF and Heinecke JW:  Acrolein impairs ABCA1-dependent cholesterol export from cells through site-specific modification of apolipoprotein A-I.  J Biol Chem 280: 36386-36396, 2005.

Shao B, Oda MN, Bergt C, Fu X, Green PS, Brot N, Oram JF, and Heinecke JW:  Myeloperoxidase impairs ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux through methionine oxidation and site-specific tyrosine chlorination of apolipoprotein A-I.  J Biol Chem 281: 9001-9004, 2006.

Shao B, Oda MN, Oram JF, Heinecke JW:  Myeloperoxidase:  An inflammatory enzyme for generating dysfunctional high density lipoprotein.  Curr Opin Cardiol 21:322-328, 2006.