Maj-Linda B. Selenica, PhD
Connect
(859) 218-3859mse285@uky.edu
Positions
- Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
- Associate Director of Outreach and Partnerships
College Unit(s)
Biography and Education
Education
M.Sc.: Biomedical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden Ph.D.: Neuroscience, Medicon Valley Academy, Lund University, Sweden PostDoctoral Fellowship: Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, US
Research
Currently my lab's research is focused on molecular pathways and therapeutic approaches toward neurodegenerative disease; especially Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. We have established an impressive tool kit of molecular biology tool, cellular models, antibodies etc to study the impact of post-translational modifications involved in tau and TDP-43 proteinopathies, with application to AD, LATE and FTD. Specifically, we have identified eIF5A hypusination as a unique pathway altering TDP-43 cytoplasmic accumulation and aggregation, and stress granule formation (Journal of Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease). Efforts are also underway to unravel the role of eIF5AhypK50 in cytoplasmic sequestration and accumulation of TDP-43 via interactions with nucleocytoplasmic shuttling machinery. Our laboratory is immersed in a highly interdisciplinary and comprehensive faculty team and has strong support from faculty across SBCoA and UK. My laboratory has technical expertise including but not limited to cell culture, histopathology, biochemistry, proteomics analysis, molecular and cellular biology, animal models, small animal surgeries, behavior, etc.
Selected Publications
Smeltzer S, Quadri Z, Zamudio F, Hunter J, Orso-Cruz C, Lee DC, Loon A, Stewart N, Miller A, Saji, S, Selenica MLB. Hypusination of eIF5A induces TDP-43 mislocalization and accumulation into stress granules. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2020 Aug 31:165939. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165939. PMID: 32882370, Impact Factor: 4.5 Zamudio F, Loon A, Smeltzer S, Lee DC, Laneras C, Saji, S, Selenica MLB. TDP-43 mediated blood-brain-barrier dysfunction promotes neurodegeneration in a low-grade systemic inflammation mouse mode. J Neuroinflammation. 2020 Sep 26;17(1):283. doi: 10.1186/s12974-020-01952-9.PMID: 32979923Impact Factor: 6.1 Amando-Joly A, Zamudio F, Kesarwani A, Quadri Z, Rangel-Rocha P, Lee DC, Nash K, Morgan D, Gordon MN, Selenica MLB. CCL2 overexpression in the brain promotes glial activation and accelerates tau pathology in a mouse model of tauopathy. Front Immunol. 2020 May 20;11:997. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00997. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32508844, Impact Factor: 6.4 Liu T, Jung-A A Woo, Bukhari MZ, Lepochat P, Chacko A, Selenica MLB, Yan Y, Kotsiviras P, Buosi SC, Zhao X, Kang D. CHCHD10-regulted Opa1-mitofililn complex mediates TDP-43 induced mitochondrial phenotypes associated with Frontotemporal dementia. FASEB J, PMID: 32369233, DOI: 10.1096/fj.201903133RR, Impact Factor: 5.4 Quadri Z, Johnson N, Zamudio F, Housley BS, Liu J, Hunt J, Brown B, Peters M, Smeltzer S, Weeber E, Nash N, Lee DC, Selenica MLB. Overexpression of human wtTDP-43 causes impaired hippocampal plasticity and behavior deficits in CAMKII-tTa transgenic mouse model. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2019.103418, PMID: 31705957, Impact Factor: 3.4; EigenFactor Score:1.097 Sandusky-Beltran, L. A., Kovalenko, A., Hunt, J. B., Darling, A. L., Baker, J. D., Martin, M. D., Fontaine, S. N., Dickey, C. A., Lussier, A. L., Weeber, E. J., Selenica, M.-L. B., Nash, K. R., Gordon, M. N., Morgan, D., Lee, D. C.. Spermidine/ spermine-N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) disruption prevents a tau-induced polyamine stress response and impacts hippocampal tau neuropathology. Alzheimer’s Res Ther. 2019; 11: 58. doi: 10.1186/s13195-019-0507-y. PMID: 31253191. Impact Factor: 5.3; EigenFactor Score:0.020538 Andreasson KI, Bachstetter AD, Colonna M, Ginhoux F, Holmes C, Lamb B, Landreth G, Lee DC, Low D, Lynch MA, Monsonego A, O'Banion MK, Pekny M, Puschmann T, Russek-Blum N, Sandusky LA, Selenica MLB, Takata K, Teeling J, Town T, Van Eldik LJ. Targeting innate immunity for neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system. J Neurochem.2016 Jun 1. doi: 10.1111/jnc.13667. PMID: 27248001. Review. PubMed PMID: 272480. Impact Factor: 3.84; EigenFactor Score:0.03658 Grewal R, Haghighi M, Huang S, Loon A, Smith A, Lin X, Teten N, Hill A, Selenica MLB. Investigating the disparity of dementia related plasma biomarkers among ethnic mild AD female patients. Alzheimer’s Res Ther. 2016 Oct 18;8(1):43. doi: 10.1186/s13195-016-0211-0 PMID: 27756387. Impact Factor: 5.3; EigenFactor Score:0.020538 Selenica MLB*, Davtyan H, Housley BS, Blair L, Zhang B, Nordhuse BA, Liu J, Lee DC, Gordon MN, Morgan D, Dickey CH. Active immunization with wild type and P301L tau results in an immune response and changes in levels of tau in rTg4510 mouse model. J Neuroinflammation. 2014 Sep 3;11:152. doi: 10.1186/s12974-014-0152-0. PMID: 25183004. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4167523. Impact Factor: 6.016, EigenFactor Score:0.02053. *Corresponding author Selenica MLB, Alvarez J, Lee DC, Nash. K, Reid P, Chao C, Morgan D, Gordon MN. CCL2 overexpression in CNS induces microglia polarization. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2013, 10:86, DOI: 10.1186/10.1186/1742-2094-10-86. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3726363. Impact Factor: 4.667, EigenFactor Score:0.02053 Selenica MLB, Benner L, Housley SB, Manchec B, Lee DC, Kalin J, Bergman JA, Kozikowski A, Gordon MN, Morgan D. HDAC6 Inhibition Improves Memory and Reduces Total Tau levels in a Mouse Model of Tau Deposition. Alzheimer’s Res Ther. 2014 Feb 27;6(1):12. Impact Factor: 5.3; EigenFactor Score:0.00538