The work in our laboratory is directed toward the understanding of the role of nuclear structure in the responses of mammalian cells to ionizing radiation and heat shock, each alone, or in combination.  In particular, we are studying the nuclear matrix as a target for the effects of heat shock and as a determinant for the response of cells to ionizing radiation.  In the latter case we have found that DNA supercoiling ability in the presence of DNA damage correlates with a cell's ability to repair DNA double-strand breaks.  In the case of heat shock, aberrant protein binding to the nuclear matrix causes the disruption of critical cellular functions (i.e., DNA synthesis, RNA processing and DNA repair and cell death).  We are also studying the biological effects of microwave radiation.

Education:

1972 PhD in Biophysics from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

Selected Recent Publications:

• Hunt CR, Pandita RK, Laszlo A, Higashikubo R, Agarwal M, Kitamura T, Gupta A, Rief N, Horikoshi N, Baskaran R, Lee J-H, Lobrich M, Paull TT, Roti Roti JL and Pandita TK:  Hyperthermia activates a subset of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated effectors independent of DNA strand breaks and heat shock protein 70 status.  Cancer Res. 2007, 6:3010-3017.  PMC ID#  17409407
• Xu, M.; Myerson, R. J.; Xia, Y.; Whitehead, T.; Moros, E. G.; Straube, W. L.; Roti Roti, J. L., The effects of 41 degrees C hyperthermia on the DNA repair protein, MRE11, correlate with radiosensitization in four human tumor cell lines. Int. J. Hyperthermia 2007, 23, (4), 343-51.
• Roti Roti JL:  Robinson Award:  Heat induced alterations of nuclear protein associations and their effects on DNA repair and replication.  Int. J. Hyperthermia, 23:3-15, 2007.  PMC ID#  17575719
• Roti Roti JL:  Cellular Responses to Hyperthermia (40 - 46OC): Cell Killing and Molecular Events.  Int. J. Hyperthermia, 2008, 24:3-15.  PMC ID#  18214765
• Tice RR, Baldetti C, Keh M, Winters J, Vasquez M, Cha BA, Moros EG, Mueller J and Roti Roti JL:  Effect of exposure to radiofrequency fields emitted by a TDMA cellular telephone on micronuclei frequency in cultured human lymphocytes:  A repeat study.  In press, 2009.

Contact Information:

Dr. Joseph L. Roti Roti
Radiation and Cancer Biology Division
Department of Radiation Oncology
Washington University School of Medicine
4511 Forest Park Blvd., Suite 411
St. Louis, Missouri   63108
Voice: 314-362-9771
Fax: 314-362-9790