R. CLAUDIO AGUILAR

Professor
765-496-3547
HANS 321
claudio@purdue.edu

Associated website(s):

PROFESSIONAL FACULTY RESEARCH

Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology

BIO

My laboratory is focused in the study of protein trafficking and membrane transport in relation to the processes of cell polarity establishment (a feature that is key for animal development and crucial for physiological functions such as synaptic transmission and immune response) and carcinogenic transformation. In order to pursue our research goals we routinely use genetic, biochemistry and cell biology techniques with yeast and mammalian cells. We study protein-protein interactions at molecular level by using bioinformatics, biochemical and genetic tools (like the two-hybrid system) and we investigate the physiological relevance of these interactions by using functional assays, microscopy (of live and fixed cells) and genetic approaches.

Education

Ph.D., University of Buenos Aires, 1996

Awards

Purdue University Faculty Scholar, 2018
Sigma Xi Midcareer Research Award, 2017
Purdue College of Science Graduate Student Mentoring Award, 2016
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation-IN, Faculty Mentor of the Year, 2015
Purdue Research Foundation International Travel Grant, 2014
Purdue College of Science Diversity Award, 2014
Purdue College of Science Leadership Award, 2013
Purdue College of Science Team Award, 2012
Purdue Research Foundation International Travel Grant, 2012
Purdue University Seeds of Success Award, 2011
American Socity for Cell Biology, Minority Affairs Committee, Excellence in Research Award, 2011
American Society for Cell Biology: Annual Meeting, Travel Award, 2010
American Society for Cell Biology, Minority Affairs Committee, Excellence in Research Award, 2010
American Society for Cell Biology: Annual Meeting, Travel Award, 2009
American Society for Cell Biology: Annual Meeting, Travel Award, 2007
American Society for Cell Biology-Minority Affair Committee: Best Research presentation Award, December, 2007
Carl Storm Fellowship, Gordon Research Conference, June 24-30, 2006
American Society for Cell Biology: Annual Meeting, Travel Award, 2006
European Science Foundation - Research conference on membrane dynamics in endocytosis, Travel Award, 2005
American Society for Cell Biology, Travel Award, 2004
American Society for Cell Biology, Travel Award, 2002

Other Activities

Professional Organizations:

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2017-present
The Protein Society, 2017-present
American Society for Cancer Research, 2009-present
American Society for Cell Biology, 2001-present

Invited Lectures:

“EGF-targeted toxin as efficient anti-bladder cancer agent able to circumvent the presence of EGFR endocytosis-impairing mutations and Her2 in vitro and in vivo ”, Tumor Progression and Therapy Minisymposium, American Society for Cell Biology/EMBO annual meeting. Cell Bio Virtual 2021, December 2021.
“Basic and Translational Cell Biology Research”. Lecture to students and faculty. Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, October 29, 2021
“Novel anti-bladder cancer therapeutics” LabRoots Cell Biology, Virtual meeting, September 22, 2021.
“Novel anti-bladder cancer therapeutics” National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, Virtual meeting, May. 28, 2021.
“Lowe Syndrome: Cell Biology and Therapeutic Opportunities” Lowe Syndrome International Research Workshop, Virtual meeting, Dec. 2-3, 2020.
“Ligand-Targeted Toxins as Anti-Bladder Cancer Therapeutics” Department of Urology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, May 6, 2020
“Vesicle trafficking in health and disease: Therapeutic opportunities” National Institutes of Health, NICHD, Bethesda, MD, August 14, 2019
“Kidney developmental defects in Lowe syndrome” Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands, June 2018
“Kidney developmental defects in Lowe syndrome” Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands, June 2018
“Kidney developmental defects in Lowe syndrome” Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands, June 2018
"Novel Approaches to Bladder Cancer Therapy." Cell Identity and Signaling group, Purdue Center for Cancer Research, September 20, 2017.
"Cell Biology Leading the Way to Therapeutic Opportunities: The Case of Lowe Syndrome." Keynote speaker, INBRE Conference, University of Nebraska, August 7, 2017.
"Endocytosis and Signaling in Health and Disease." Dept. of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom, July 8, 2016.
"Cilia Abnormalities in Lowe Syndrome." Keynote Speaker, 1 ^st UK Cilia Network Meeting, University College of London, London, United Kingdom, July 7, 2016.
" From Basic Cell Biology Research to Novel Therapeutic Approaches: The Case of Lowe Syndrome," the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. June 2, 2016.
"Intracellular Trafficking in Health and Disease," Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN. March 17, 2016.
"A Chimeric EGF-Target Bacterial Toxin as Therapeutic Agent Against Bladder Cancer," John P. Donohue Research Symposium, Department of Urology, Indiana University School of Medicine. February 26, 2016.
"From Basic Cell Biology Research to Novel Therapeutic Approaches: The Case of Lowe Syndrome," Division of Nephrology, Indiana Univiersity School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN. January 13, 2016.
"Controlling the Notch Signaling Pathway: Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the Rescue," University of Seville, Seville, Spain. March 24, 2015.
"Lowe Syndrome: Cellular Phenotypes and Therapeutic Opportunities," Lowe Syndrome Symposium, Lowe Syndrome Trust/Royal Society of London, England. December 12, 2014.
"Epsin: A Conserved Multifaceted Protein Linking Endocytosis and Signaling," FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy. June 16, 2014.
"Epsin: A Conserved Multifaceted Protein Linking Endocytosis and Signaling," University of Manchester, Manchester, England. June 12, 2014.
"Cell Biology of the Lowe Syndrome: Paradigm Shifts," Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. January 9, 2012.
"The Syndrome of Lowe as a Ciliopathy: Role of Ocrl1 in Primary Cilia Assembly," American Society for Cell Biology, the 51st Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. December 5, 2011.
Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, February 18, 2011.
"Lowe Syndrom and Signaling: Coordination of Endocytosis and Rac1 Activation by the Inositol 5-phosphatase Ocrl1," Third International Symposium of the Lowe Syndrome Trust, London, England, December 3, 2010.
BioConference Live on Cancer Research, June 3, 2010.
"Cell Biology of the Lowe Syndrome," Department of Human Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, May 24, 2010.
"Endocytosis and Membrane Remodeling in Cancer and Developmental Diseases," 4th International Symposium on the Membrane Biology of Cancer, Center for Basic and Applied Studies of Biological Membranes, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, May 6-8, 2010.
"OCRL1 Deficiency Leads to Cell Migration Defects in Low Syndrome Patient Cells," 49th Annual Meeting of The American Society for Cell Biology, San Diego, CA, December 5-9, 2009.
48th Annual Midwest Regional Developmental Biology Meeting, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, May 29-31, 2009.

Conferences:

“The Epsin-Related Adaptor Epsin-R has Prion-like Properties: Role in Vesicle Trafficking” Pearson, M, Arias-Arellano A, Lee J, Subramanian S & RC Aguilar. American Society for Cell Biology/EMBO annual meeting. Cell Bio Virtual 2021, December 2021.
“Differential effects of OCRL1 mutations in Lowe Syndrome cellular phenotypes” Ramadesikan S. & RC Aguilar. Purdue Health and Disease: Science, Culture and Policy graduate poster competition March 2020
“Repurposing of FDA-approved compound as therapeutics against Lowe Syndrome” Ramadesikan S. & RC Aguilar at the Purdue Health and Disease: Science, Culture and Policy graduate poster competition- March 2019
“Kidney-differentiated cells derived from Lowe Syndrome patient's iPSCs show ciliogenesis defects and Six2 retention at the Golgi complex” Ramadesikan S. & RC Aguilar at the American Society for Cell Biology ASCB Annual meeting, San Diego-December 2018
“Differential effect of OCRL1 patient mutations on protein localization and organelle morphology in Lowe syndrome” Ramadesikan S. & RC Aguilar at Experimental Biology EB Annual meeting, San Diego- April 2018
“Differential effects of OCRL1 mutations in Lowe Syndrome cellular phenotypes” Ramadesikan S. & RC Aguilar at the American Society for Cell Biology ASCB Annual meeting in December 2015
“Differential effects of OCRL1 mutations in Lowe Syndrome cellular phenotypes” Ramadesikan S. & RC Aguilar at the Purdue Health and Disease: Science, Culture and Policy graduate poster competition- March 2015
Oral presentation: “Yeast Endocytic Proteins, Epsin 2 and Huntingtin Interacting Protein-1, Sla2, Cooperate for the Regulation of Cell Division in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae”. Pearson, McKeith., R.C. Aguilar Emerging Researchers National, Washington D.C. Feb. 2015.
“Yeast Endocytic Proteins, Epsin 2 and Huntingtin Interacting Protein-1, Sla2, Cooperate for the Regulation of Cell Division in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae”. Pearson, McKeith., R.C. Aguilar Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. University of California, San Diego. La Jolla, Oct. 2014.
“How do endocytic adaptors recognize their specific targets among multiple ubiquitinated-cargoes?” A. Sen, D. Mukherjee, C. B. Hannah and R. C. Aguilar. American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. New Orleans, 2013
“Differential Characteristics of Glutamine-Rich Sequences from Transcription Factors and Endocytic Proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae” A. Sen, W-C. Hsieh and R. C. Aguilar. American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. New Orleans, 2013.
“Ubiquitination and a Ser/Thr motif are required for internalization of an epsin-specific cargo” A. Sen, D. Mukherjee, M. Ramos-Miller, C. B. Hannah and R. C. Aguilar. American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. San Francisco, 2012
“The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Na+ ATPase exporter ENa1 is a yeast epsin-specific endocytic cargo” A. Sen, D. Mukherjee, D. Glover, C. B. Hannah and R. C. Aguilar. American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. Denver, 2011
“Of Yeast and Men: A Signaling Role for Epsin, AP-2 and Clathrin in Cancer and Developmental Diseases,” Gordon Research Conference. Lysosomes and Endocytosis. Coon, B.G., D. Mukherjee, and R.C. Aguilar. Proctor Academy, Andover, New Hampshire, June 20-25, 2010.
“The Endocytic Protein Epsin Regulates Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion through an Endocytosis-independent Mechanism,” Coon, B.G., T.L. Ratliff, and R.C. Aguilar. American Association for Cancer Research, EMT and Cancer Progression and Treatment Meeting, Arlington, Virginia, February 28-March 2, 2010.
“Lowe Syndrome patient fibroblasts display OCRL-1 specific cell migration defects that cannot be rescued by the homologous INPP5B phosphatase,” 917. Coon, B.G., D. Mukherjee, C.B. Hanna, D.J. Riese, M. Lowe, and R.C. Aguilar. American Society of Cell Biology 49th Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, December 5-9, 2009.
“The Yeast Epsin and AP180 families of endocytic adaptors are involved in cell division and septin assembly.” 1440. : Sen, A., D. Mukherjee, and R.C. Aguilar. American Society of Cell Biology 49th Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, December 5-9, 2009.
“The yeast endocytic protein Epsin-2 functions in a cell division and septin organization pathway,” 1356. Mukherjee, D., B.G. Coon, C.B. Hanna, S.A. Longhi, L.A. Retegui, B. Wendland, J. McCaffery, E. Bi, and R.C. Aguilar. American Society of Cell Biology 49th Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, December 5-9, 2009.
“The endocytic protein epsin regulates RhoGTPase-signaling pathways required for cell migration and septin assembly,” Coon, B. G., D. Mukherjee, J.H. Camonis, and R. C. Aguilar. Endocytic Machineries in Control of Cell Signaling and Tissue Morphogenesis Meeting, Chania, Greece, October 3-8, 2009.
“The yeast endocytic protein Epsin-2 (Ent2) displays specific signaling functions towards cell division pathways,” Mukherjee, D., B.G. Coon, S.A. Longhi, B. Wendland, J.M. McCaffery, L.A. Retegui, and R.C. Aguilar. Gordon Research Conference, Lysosomes and Endocytosis, Proctor Academy, Andover, New Hampshire, June 22-27, 2008.
“Novel Role of the Endocytic Adaptor Epsin-2 in Cytokinesis Regulation,” 655. Mukherjee, D., B.G. Coon, S.A. Longhi, B. Wendland, J.M. McCaffery, L.A. Retegui, and R.C. Aguilar. American Society for Cell Biology 47th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. December 1-5, 2007.
“Epsin Coordinates Endocytosis and Signaling by Interacting with the Cdc42/Rac1-Binding Proteins, RalBP1 and OCRL1,” 1103. Coon, B.G., D. Mukherjee, J. Camonis, and R.C. Aguilar. American Society for Cell Biology 47th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. December 1-5, 2007.
“Novel role of the endocytic adaptor Epsin-2 in cytokinesis regulation,” Mukherjee, D., B.G. Coon, S.A. Longhi, B. Wendland, J.M. McCaffery, L.A. Retegui, and R.C. Aguilar. EMBO Federation of Europe Biochemical Sciences Workshop on Endocytic Systems, Villars-sur-ollon, Switzerland, September 18-23, 2007.
47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, Washington, DC, December 1-5, 2007.
EMBO Federation of European Biochemical Sciences Workshop, Endocytic Systems: Mechanism and Function, Villars-sur-ollon, Switzerland, September 18-23, 2007. Poster presentations: "Novel Role of the Endocytic Adaptor Epsin-2 in Cytokinesis Regulation" by Debarati Mukherjee, Brian G. Coon, and R. Claudio Aguilar from Purdue University; Silvia A. Longhi, J. Michael McCaffrey, and Beverly Wendland from Johns Hopkins University and Lilia A. Retegui from the Departamento de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires.
46th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, San Diego, California, December 9-13, 2006. Poster presentations: "Role of the Endocytic Protein Epsin in Cdc42 Regulation" (co-authored by C. Aguilar and Brian Coon) and "EHD1 regulates LDL Internalization and Cholesterol Homeostasis" (co-authored by C. Aguilar, Brian Coon, Dr. Steve Caplan, UNMC).
Gordon Conference on Endocytosis, Andover, New Hampshire, June 24-30, 2006. "Unsuspected Roles of the Endocytic Protein Epsin in Cell Polarity Regulation" (co-authored by C. Aguilar and B. Coon).