Mentors: Dr. Mark Kindy, Dr. Sebastino Gattoni-Celli
Education: BS. Boston College, 2001
Graduated 2009
Postdoctoral: Australia
I am investigating the vitamin D3 pathway within cells established from the skin of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (BND). BND has been suggested as a sentinel for human health due to the sensitivity of its own health to deteriorating environmental conditions and the manifestation of diseases similar to those inflicted in humans. Vitamin D3 is synthesized in the skin of animals via UV light stimulation and plays a role, not only in calcium homeostasis, but in chemoprevention and immunomodulation. Providing a protective barrier against its environment, the skin acts as the first line of defense in the innate immune system, serving as a model organ for evaluating health overall. Within BND skin, I am concerned with the effect of 1,25D3, the hormonal and bioactive form of vitamin D3, on the transcription of genes involved in the immune response and cancer prevention. Furthermore, I am investigating the ability of environmental stressors to interfere with this vitamin D-mediated transcriptional regulation.
Publications:
Mancia A, Lundqvist ML, Romano TA, Peden-Adams MM, Fair PA, Kindy MS,
Ellis BC, Gattoni-Celli S, McKillen DJ, Trent HF, Ann Chen Y, Almeida
JS, Gross PS, Chapman RW, Warr GW. A dolphin peripheral blood leukocyte
cDNA microarray for studies of immune function and stress reactions. Dev
Comp Immunol. 2006 (submitted).
Yu J, Kindy MS, Ellis BC, Baatz JE, Peden-Adams M, Ellingham TJ, Wolff
DJ, Fair PA, Gattoni-Celli S. Establishment of epidermal cell lines
derived from the skin of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus).Anat Rec A Discov Mol Cell Evol Biol. 2005
Dec;287(2):1246-55.
Puglielli, L., Ellis, B.C., Ingano, L.A., Kovacs, D.M. Role of acyl-coenzyme
A: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in the processing of the amyloid
precursor protein. J Mol Neurosci. 2004; 24(1):93-6.
Puglielli, L., Ellis, B.C., Saunders, A.J., Kovacs, D.M. Ceramide
stabilizes beta-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 and
promotes amyloid beta-peptide biogenesis. J Biol Chem. 2003;
278:19777-83.
Presentations:
Ellis BC, Kindy MS, Mancia A, Warr GW, Gattoni-Celli S.
(2006) The Vitamin D3 Pathway within the Skin of the Atlantic Bottlenose
Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). MUSC Student Research Day.
Ellis BC, Yu Jin, Kindy M, Baatz JE, Peden-Adams M, Ellingham TJ, Wolff
DJ, Fair PA, Gattoni-Celli S. (2005) Establishment of epidermal cell
lines derived from the skin of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
Truncatus). 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.
Society for Marine Mammalogy, San Diego, CA.
Ellis BC, Kindy M, Yu J, Baatz JE, Peden-Adams M, Fair PA, Mancia A,
Warr GW, Gattoni-Celli S. (2005) Characterization of Cell Cultures and
Cell Lines Derived from Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus)
Skin. Health Assessment of Bottlenose Dolphins in the Indian River
Lagoon, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina Workshop. Society for
Marine Mammalogy, San Diego, CA.
Ellis BC, Yu J, Kindy MS, Baatz JE, Peden-Adams M, Ellingham TJ, Wolff
DJ, Fair PA, and Gattoni-Celli S. (2005) Establishment of Epidermal Cell
Lines Derived from the Skin of the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus). MUSC Student Research Day
MacKenzie-Ingano, L.A., Ellis, B.C., Pettingell, W.H., Kim, D.Y.,
Kovacs, D.M. (2003) Presenilin/ -secretase cleavage promotes cell-cell
adhesion mediated by -secretase substrates. Society for Neuroscience,
New Orleans, LA.
Ellis, B.C., Moir, R.D., Puglielli, L., Kovacs, D.M (2002). The role of
ceramide in APP processing. Society for Neuroscience, Orlando, FL.
Meetings
16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego,
CA.December 12-16, 2005.
Awards:
SMM conference student travel grant
MUSC 2005 Student Research Day 2nd Place Poster Presentation