C.T.Wang

Reserach

Plasma membrane and organelle membranes act as boundaries of cell compartmentation. The membrane can selectively transport molecules and transduce the agonist signals to the cell interior. The major components of membrane bilayer are lipids and proteins, which organize in specific functional ways to form the planar membrane structure. The planar structure changes when amphipathic molecules insert into the different leaflets of membrane bilayer. Human platelets play an important role in thrombosis and heamostasis.

Activation of cells by agonists causes platelets to change shape from disc to round irregular form. Different agonists activate distinct signal transduction pathways in platelets. Using human platelets as a model system, we ask: (1) How the anticardiolipin antibodies induce platelet aggregation? (2) How amphipathic agents with slight structural differences cause differential effects on platelets? (3) How the endo- and exotoxins affect platelet functions? We intend to understand the structure-function relationship of biomembrane, and to elucidate the pathological and pharmacological effects of various agent on platelets.

Selected Publications

C.N. Wang, J.C. Chen, M.S. Shiao and C.T. Wang Biochem. J. 277, 189-197 (1991). The inhibition of human platelet functions by Ganodermic acid S.
Y.L. Lin and C.T. Wang Blood 80, 3135-3143 (1992). Activation of human platelets by rabbit anticardiolipin antibodies
Y.J. Shiao, J.C. Chen, C.N. Wang and C.T. Wang Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1146, 282-293 (1993). The mode of action of primary bile salts on human platelets