Rose-Anne Romano
Rose-Anne Romano
Professional Summary:
Our research interests are broadly centered on studying the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing the development and differentiation of epithelial rich tissues. Our lab focuses on the lineage-specific master transcription factor, p63, which is a member of the p53 family of proteins. Using transgenic and knockout mouse models generated in the lab, we have demonstrated a critical role for p63 in directing stem/progenitor cell function and lineage choices, important for proper development of various tissues and organs including the skin and its appendages, the oral epithelium, and salivary glands.
One current area of interest in the lab is to investigate the role of p63 in various facets of salivary gland development, stem cell renewal, organ homeostasis and repair. p63 is highly expressed in the myoepithelial cells of the salivary gland and in its absence, this organ fails to develop. We are currently using fluorescent reporters in transgenic mice to track, isolate and characterize the p63+ salivary gland stem cells. Our long term goals are to identify p63 driven signaling pathways and transcriptional networks that mediate stem/progenitor cell function in the salivary gland as well as the oral epithelium, using molecular, biochemical and genomic approaches.
Education and Training:
- PhD, Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo (2008)
- BS, Biology, University of Pittsburgh (2000)
Employment:
- Associate Professor, Oral Biology, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine (2020-present)
- Assistant Professor, Oral Biology, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine (2014–2020)
- Research Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo (2011–2014)
- Post Doctoral Fellow, Biochemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo (2008–2011)
Awards and Honors:
- United University Professions Individual Development Award (2015)
- Society for International Investigative Dermatology World Travel Fellowship (2013)
- Society for Investigative Dermatology Albert M. Kligman Travel Fellowship Award (2010)
- Department of Biochemistry Dissertation Recognition Award Award (2008)
- Dean's Travel Award (2005)
Research Expertise:
- Epithelial Development
- Stem Cell Biology
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- April 2020–March 2025
Analysis of MyD88-mediated immune activation in Sjogrens syndrome pathogenesis
NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Role: Co-Investigator
$1,866,331 - March 2019–February 2024
Genomic and functional investigations of the transcriptional regulatory network of salivary gland morphogenesis and stem cell fate choices in defined genetic models
NIH/NIDCR
Role: Principal Investigator - March 2018–December 2023
Genomic and epigenomic investigations of the transcriptional regulatory network of skin keratinocytes
NIH/NIAMS
Role: Co-Investigator - January 2017–December 2020
Elucidating the role of p63 and transcriptional control mechanisms in progenitor cells of the salivary gland
NIH/NIDCR
Role: Principal Investigator - September 2018–August 2020
Genomic and genetic analysis of oral stem cells
NIH/NIDCR
Role: Principal Investigator - June 2015–May 2017
Identifying the transcriptional control mechanisms of p63 in Atopic Dermatitis
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Role: Principal Investigator - July 2013–June 2016
Novel Genetic Models to Study the Role of DeltaNp63 in Squamous Cell Carcinoma
NIH/NIAMS
Role: Principal Investigator
Journal Articles:
- Song EAC, Smalley K, Oyelakin A, Horeth E, Che M, Wrynn T, Osinski J, Romano RA, Sinha S, Romano R. Genetic Study of Elf5 and Ehf in the Mouse Salivary Gland. J Dent Res. 2022.
- Oyelakin A, Nayak KB, Glathar AR, Gluck C, Wrynn T, Tugores A, Romano RA, Sinha S, Romano R. EHF is a novel regulator of cellular redox metabolism and predicts patient prognosis in HNSCC. NAR Cancer. 2022; 4(2).
- Gluck C, Min S, Oyelakin A, Che M, Horeth E, Song EAC, Bard J, Lamb N, Sinha S, Romano RA, Romano R. A Global Vista of the Epigenomic State of the Mouse Submandibular Gland. J Dent Res. 2021; 100(13).
- Horeth E, Oyelakin A, Song EC, Che M, Bard J, Min S, Kiripolsky J, Kramer JM, Sinha S, Romano RA, Romano R. Transcriptomic and Single-Cell Analysis Reveals Regulatory Networks and Cellular Heterogeneity in Mouse Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Salivary Glands. Front Immunol. 2021; 12.
- Oyelakin A, Horeth E, Song EC, Min S, Che M, Marzullo B, Lessard CJ, Rasmussen A, Radfar L, Scofield RH, Lewis DM, Stone DU, Grundahl K, De Rossi SS, Kurago Z, Farris AD, Sivils KL, Sinha S, Kramer JM, Romano RA, Romano R. Transcriptomic and Network Analysis of Minor Salivary Glands of Patients With Primary Sjögren‘s Syndrome. Front Immunol. 2021; 11.
- Min S, Oyelakin A, Gluck C, Bard JE, Song EC, Smalley K, Che M, Flores E, Sinha S, Romano RA, Romano R. p63 and Its Target Follistatin Maintain Salivary Gland Stem/Progenitor Cell Function through TGF-B/Activin Signaling. iScience. 2020; 23(9).
- Kiripolsky J, Romano RA, Kasperek EM, Yu G, Kramer JM. Activation of Myd88-Dependent TLRs Mediates Local and Systemic Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Primary Sjögren‘s Syndrome. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020; 10.
- Oyelakin A, Song EAC, Min S, Bard JE, Kann JV, Horeth E, Smalley K, Kramer JM, Sinha S, Romano RA. Transcriptomic and Single-Cell Analysis of the Murine Parotid Gland. J Dent Res. 2019.
- Pajic P, Pavlidis P, Dean K, Neznanova L, Romano RA, Garneau D, Daugherity E, Globig A, Ruhl S, Gokcumen O, Romano R. Independent amylase gene copy number bursts correlate with dietary preferences in mammals. Elife. 2019; 8.
- Singh S, Elenio E, Leu NA, Romano RA, Vaughan AE, DeRiso J, Surendran K, Chakrabarti R. A new Elf5CreERT2-GFP BAC transgenic mouse model for tracing Elf5 cell lineages in adult tissues. FEBS Lett. 2019; 593(10).
- Fan X, Wang D, Burgmaier JE, Teng Y, Romano R, Sinha S, Yi R. Single Cell and Open Chromatin Analysis Reveals Molecular Origin of Epidermal Cells of the Skin. Dev Cell. 2018; 47(1).
- Song EC, Min S, Oyelakin A, Smalley K, Bard JE, Liao L, Xu J, Romano RA. Genetic and scRNA-seq Analysis Reveals Distinct Cell Populations that Contribute to Salivary Gland Development and Maintenance. Sci Rep. 2018; 8(1).
- Min S, Song EC, Oyelakin A, Gluck C, Smalley K, Romano RA. Functional characterization and genomic studies of a novel murine submandibular gland epithelial cell line. PLoS One. 2018; 13(2).
- Richardson R, Mitchell K, Hammond NL, Mollo MR, Kouwenhoven EN, Wyatt ND, Donaldson IJ, Zeef L, Burgis T, Blance R, van Heeringen SJ, Stunnenberg HG, Zhou H, Missero C, Romano RA, Sinha S, Dixon MJ, Dixon J. p63 exerts spatio-temporal control of palatal epithelial cell fate to prevent cleft palate. PLoS Genet. 2017; 13(6).
- Gluck C, Min S, Oyelakin A, Smalley K, Sinha S, Romano RA. RNA-seq based transcriptomic map reveals new insights into mouse salivary gland development and maturation. BMC Genomics. 2016; 17(1).
- Si H, Lu H, Yang X, Mattox A, Jang M, Bian Y, Sano E, Viadiu H, Yan B, Yau C, Ng S, Lee SK, Romano RA, Davis S, Walker RL, Xiao W, Sun H, Wei L, Sinha S, Benz CC, Stuart JM, Meltzer PS, Van Waes C, Chen Z. TNF-α modulates genome-wide redistribution of ΔNp63α/TAp73 and NF-κB cREL interactive binding on TP53 and AP-1 motifs to promote an oncogenic gene program in squamous cancer. Oncogene. 2016; 35(44).
- Rizzo JM, Oyelakin A, Min S, Smalley K, Bard J, Luo W, Nyquist J, Guttman-Yassky E, Yoshida T, De Benedetto A, Beck LA, Sinha S, Romano RA. ΔNp63 regulates IL-33 and IL-31 signaling in atopic dermatitis. Cell Death Differ. 2016; 23(6).
- Sethi I, Romano RA, Gluck C, Smalley K, Vojtesek B, Buck MJ, Sinha S, Buck M. A global analysis of the complex landscape of isoforms and regulatory networks of p63 in human cells and tissues. BMC Genomics. 2015; 16.
- Hu L, Liu J, Li Z, Ozturk F, Gurumurthy C, Romano RA, Sinha S, Nawshad A. TGFß3 Regulates Periderm Removal Through ?Np63 in the Developing Palate. J Cell Physiol. 2015; 230(6).
- Chakrabarti R, Wei Y, Hwang J, Hang X, Andres Blanco M, Choudhury A, Tiede B, Romano RA, DeCoste C, Mercatali L, Ibrahim T, Amadori D, Kannan N, Eaves CJ, Sinha S, Kang Y. DeltaNp63 promotes stem cell activity in mammary gland development and basal-like breast cancer by enhancing Fzd7 expression and Wnt signalling. Nat Cell Biol. 2014; 16(10).
- Romano R, Sinha S. Family matters: sibling rivalry and bonding between p53 and p63 in cancer. Exp Dermatol. 2014; 23(4).
- Du J, Romano R, Si H, Mattox A, Bian Y, Yang X, Sinha S, Van Waes C, Chen Z. Epidermal overexpression of transgenic DeltaNp63 promotes type 2 immune and myeloid inflammatory responses and hyperplasia via NF-kappaB activation. J Pathol. 2014; 232(3).
- Alexandrova EM, Petrenko O, Nemajerova A, Romano R, Sinha S, Moll UM. DeltaNp63 regulates select routes of reprogramming via multiple mechanisms. Cell Death Differ. 2013; 20(12).
- Chin SS, Romano RA, Nagarajan P, Sinha S, Garrett-Sinha LA, Garrett-Sinha L. Aberrant epidermal differentiation and disrupted DeltaNp63/Notch regulatory axis in Ets1 transgenic mice. Biol Open. 2013; 2(12).
- Chari NS, Romano R, Koster MI, Jaks V, Roop D, Flores ER, Teglund S, Sinha S, Gruber W, Aberger F, Medeiros LJ, Toftgard R, McDonnell TJ. Interaction between the TP63 and SHH pathways is an important determinant of epidermal homeostasis. Cell Death Differ. 2013; 20(8).
- Weiss RM, Guo S, Shan A, Shi H, Romano R, Sinha S, Cantley LG, Guo JK. Brg1 determines urothelial cell fate during ureter development. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013; 24(4).
- Chakrabarti R, Hwang J, Andres Blanco M, Wei Y, Lukacišin M, Romano R, Smalley K, Liu S, Yang Q, Ibrahim T, Mercatali L, Amadori D, Haffty BG, Sinha S, Kang Y. Elf5 inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in mammary gland development and breast cancer metastasis by transcriptionally repressing Snail2. Nat Cell Biol. 2012; 14(11).
- Chakrabarti R, Wei Y, Romano R, DeCoste C, Kang Y, Sinha S. Elf5 regulates mammary gland stem/progenitor cell fate by influencing notch signaling. Stem Cells. 2012; 30(7).
- Romano R, Smalley K, Magraw C, Serna VA, Kurita T, Raghavan S, Sinha S. DeltaNp63 knockout mice reveal its indispensable role as a master regulator of epithelial development and differentiation. Development. 2012; 139(4).
- Mitchell, K, O‘Sullivan,J, Missero, C, Blair, E, Richardson, R, Richardson, B, Anderson, B, Antonini,D, Murray, J, Shanske, A, Schutte, B, Romano R, Sinha S, Bhaskar,S, Dixon,J, Dixon, M. Exome Sequence Identifies RIPK4 as the Bartsocas-Papas Syndrome Locus.. Am J Hum Genet. 2012; 90.
- Lu H, Yang X, Duggal P, Allen CT, Yan B, Cohen J, Nottingham L, Romano R, Sinha S, King KE, Weinberg WC, Chen Z, Van Waes C. TNF-a promotes c-REL/DeltaNp63a interaction and TAp73 dissociation from key genes that mediate growth arrest and apoptosis in head and neck cancer. Cancer Res. 2011; 71(21).
- Romano R, Sinha S. Dynamic life of a skin keratinocyte: an intimate tryst with the master regulator p63. Indian J Exp Biol. 2011; 49(10).
- Packard A, Schnittke N, Romano R, Sinha S, Schwob JE. DeltaNp63 regulates stem cell dynamics in the mammalian olfactory epithelium. J Neurosci. 2011; 31(24).
- Romano R, Solomon LW, Sinha S. Tp63 in Oral Development, Neoplasia, and Autoimmunity. J Dent Res. 2011.
- Yang X, Lu H, Yan B, Romano R, Bian Y, Friedman J, Duggal P, Allen C, Chuang R, Ehsanian R, Si H, Sinha S, Van Waes C, Chen Z. DeltaNp63 versatilely regulates a Broad NF-kappaB gene program and promotes squamous epithelial proliferation, migration, and inflammation. Cancer Res. 2011; 71(10).
- Escamilla-Hernandez R, Chakrabarti R, Romano R, Smalley K, Zhu Q, Lai W, Halfon MS, Buck MJ, Sinha S. Genome-wide search identifies Ccnd2 as a direct transcriptional target of Elf5 in mouse mammary gland. BMC Mol Biol. 2010; 11.
- Romano RA, Smalley K, Liu S, Sinha S. Abnormal hair follicle development and altered cell fate of follicular keratinocytes in transgenic mice expressing DeltaNp63alpha. Development. 2010; 137(9).
- Huang Y, Chuang AY, Romano RA, Liégeois NJ, Sinha S, Trink B, Ratovitski E, Sidransky D. Phospho-DeltaNp63alpha/NF-Y protein complex transcriptionally regulates DDIT3 expression in squamous cell carcinoma cells upon cisplatin exposure. Cell Cycle. 2010; 9(2).
- Romano R, Sinha S. Tetracycline-regulated gene expression in transgenic mouse epidermis. Methods Mol Biol. 2010; 585.
- Kommagani R, Leonard MK, Lewis S, Romano R, Sinha S, Kadakia MP. Regulation of VDR by deltaNp63alpha is associated with inhibition of cell invasion. J Cell Sci. 2009; 122(Pt 16).
- Romano RA, Ortt K, Birkaya B, Smalley K, Sinha S. An active role of the DeltaN isoform of p63 in regulating basal keratin genes K5 and K14 and directing epidermal cell fate. PLoS One. 2009; 4(5).
- Nagarajan P, Romano R, Sinha S. Transcriptional control of the differentiation program of interfollicular epidermal keratinocytes. Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr. 2008; 18(1).
- Borrelli S, Testoni B, Callari M, Alotto D, Castagnoli C, Romano R, Sinha S, Viganò AM, Mantovani R. Reciprocal regulation of p63 by C/EBP delta in human keratinocytes. BMC Mol Biol. 2007; 8.
- Romano R, Birkaya B, Sinha S. A functional enhancer of keratin14 is a direct transcriptional target of deltaNp63. J Invest Dermatol. 2007; 127(5).
- Romano R, Birkaya B, Sinha S. Defining the regulatory elements in the proximal promoter of DeltaNp63 in keratinocytes: Potential roles for Sp1/Sp3, NF-Y, and p63. J Invest Dermatol. 2006; 126(7).
- Romano R, Li H, Tummala R, Maul R, Sinha S. Identification of Basonuclin2, a DNA-binding zinc-finger protein expressed in germ tissues and skin keratinocytes. Genomics. 2004; 83(5).
- Tummala R, Romano RA, Fuchs E, Sinha S, Romano R. Molecular cloning and characterization of AP-2 epsilon, a fifth member of the AP-2 family. Gene. 2003; 321.
Professional Memberships:
- American Association of Dental Research (2014–present)
- Society for Investigative Dermatology (2011–present)
Presentations:
- "A Direct Role for DeltaNp63 in Regulating the Pruritogenic Cytokine IL-31 and Alarmin IL-33, in the Pathogenesis of Atopic Dermatitis" Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Invited Speaker (2014)
- "p63: A Master Regulator of Epithelial Morphogenesis and Disease" Developmental Genomics, State University of New York at Buffalo (2014)
- "The Many Faces of p63" , University of Rochester, Department of Dermatology, Invited Speaker (2013)
- "DeltaNp63 is a Key Driver of Inflammatory Signaling in Atopic Dermatitis" International Investigative Dermatology Meeting, Invited Speaker (2013)
- "p63 and Epithelial Morphogenesis: The Master at Work" Developmental Genomics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Invited Speaker (2012)
- "An Inducible Inflammatory Response in Transgenic Mice Reveals a Pro-tumorigenic Role for DeltaNp63 in Skin Carcinogenesis" Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Invited Speaker (2011)
- "The Complexity of p63 Function in the Epithelium: Lessons from Transgenic Mice" , Invited Speaker (2010)
- "The DeltaNp63 Isoform is an Essential Regulator of Epithelial Development and Stem Cell Renewal" Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Invited Speaker (2010)
- "Transgenic mice delineate the functional properties of p63 isoforms in regulating keratinocyte differentiation" Society for International Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Invited Speaker (2009)
- "Abnormal Hair Follicle Development and Follicular Keratinocyte Transformation in Transgenic Mice Expressing DeltaNp63" International Investigative Dermatology Meeting, Invited Speaker (2008)
- "Transgenic Mice Reveal Novel Roles for DeltaNp63 in Skin and Hair Follicle Morphogenesis" Great Lakes Mammalian Development Meeting, Invited Speaker (2008)
- "Transgenic Mice Reveal Novel Roles for DeltaNp63 in de novo Hair Follicle Formation and Sebaceous Gland Development" Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Invited Speaker (2007)
- "Transgenic Mice Reveal Unique Roles for DeltaNp63 in Epidermal Cell Lineage Commitment" 3rd International p63/p73 Workshop, Invited Speaker (2007)
- "Keratin14 is a Direct Target of DeltaNp63 in Keratinocytes" Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, Invited Speaker (2006)
Service Activities:
- Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Admissions Committee; Alternate Member (2014)