EDUCATION AND TRAINING

PhD, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

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

Cholesterol accumulation in arterial macrophages and inflammation of the artery wall both contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).  HDL appears to protect against CVD by several mechanisms that remove cholesterol from arterial cells and suppress inflammation. A major cardioprotective factor associated with HDL metabolism is ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a cell membrane protein that exports cholesterol and phospholipids from cells to lipid-depleted HDL apolipoproteins, such as apoA1.  My research focuses on studies of biochemical mechanisms and signaling pathways by which ABCA1 functions as cholesterol exporter and anti-inflammation molecule. Another focus of my research is the studies of the effects and mechanisms of diabetes and diabetes associated factors on ABCA1 and ABCG1.


REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

Oram JF, Wolfbauer G, Vaughan AM, Tang C, Albers JJ:   Phospholipid transfer protein interacts with and stabilizes ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 and enhances cholesterol efflux from cells. J Biol Chem 278 52379-52385, 2003.

Tang C, Cho HP, Clarke SD:  Transcriptional regulation of rat and human delta-6 desaturase genes by fatty acids and WY 14,643: Identification of a functional direct repeat-1 cis-acting element in the human delta-6 desaturase gene.  J Lipid Res 44: 686-695, 2003.

Tang C, Vaughan AM, Oram JF:  Janus Kinase 2 modulates the apolipoprotein interactions with ABCA1 required for removing cellular cholesterol.  J Biol Chem 279:7622-7628, 2004.

Passarelli M, Tang C, McDonald TO, O'Brien KD, Gerrity RG, Heinecke JW, Oram JF:  Advanced glycation end production precursors impair ABCA1-dependent cholesterol removal from cells. Diabetes 54:2198-2205, 2005.

Tang C, Vaughan AM, Anantharamaiah GM, Oram JF:  Janus Kinase 2 modulates the lipid transport-mediating but not protein-stabilizing interactions of amphipathic helical peptides with ABCA1.  J Lipid Res 47: 107-114, 2006.

Oram JF, Wolfbauer G, Tang C, Davidson WS, Albers JJ:  An amphipathic helical region of the N-terminal barrel of phospholipid transfer protein is critical for ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux.  J Biol Chem 283: 11541-11549, 2008.