Vazhaikkurichi M. Rajendran, PhD

Research Interests

Our laboratory is interested in investigating the electrolyte transport processes that regulate colonic fluid movement during physiological and pathophysiological (diarrhea and ulcerative colitis) conditions. We focus to identify the Ca2+-activated intermediate conductance (also known as KCNN4) K+ channel isoform that provides the driving force for Cl- secretion in several fluid secreting epithelial cells. To achieve this goal, we employ electrophysiology, biochemical, molecular and biophysical techniques.

Publications

Full Publication List 

Nickerson AJ, Rajendran VM. Aldosterone up-regulates basolateral Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter-1 to support enhanced large conductance K+ channel-mediated K+ secretion in rat distal colon. FASEB J. 2021 May;35(5):e21606. doi: 10.1096/fj.202100203R. PMID: 33908679

Nickerson AJ, Rajendran VM. Flupirtine enhances NHE-3 mediated Na+ absorption in rat colon via an ENS-dependent mechanism Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol (GI-00158-2021R1; in press)

Rehman S, Narayanan K, Nickerson AJ, Coon SD, Hoque KM, Sandle GI, Rajendran VM. Parallel intermediate conductance K+ and Cl- channel activity mediates electroneutral K + exit across basolateral membranes in rat distal colon. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 319:G142-G150, 2020. DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00011.2020; PMID:32567323. PMC7500264

Nickerson AJ, Rottgen TS, Rajendran VM. Activation of KCNQ (KV7) K+ channels in enteric neurons inhibits epithelial Cl- secretion in mouse distal colon. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 320:C1074-C1087, 2021. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00536.2020. PMID: 33852365

Sarkar P, Saha T, Ali SI, Chakraborty S, Aoun J, Chakraborty MK, Rajendran VM, Dutta S, Hoque MK. Zinc Ameliorates Intestinal Barrier Dysfunctions by Reinstating Claudin-2 and -4 on the Membranes in Shigellosis. Am J Physiol Gastrintest Liver Physiol 316:G229-G246, 2019. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00092.2018. PMID:30406698. PMC6397338

Minor EA, Kupec JT, Nickerson AJ, Narayanan K, Rajendran VM. Increased DMT1 and FPN1 expression with enhanced iron absorption in ulcerative colitis human colon. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. Feb 1;318(2):C263-C271, 2020. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00128.2019. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:31721611. PMC7052612

Rajendran VM, Sandle GI. "Colonic Potassium Absorption and Secretion in Health and Disease." Compr Physiol. 2018 Sep 14;8(4):1513-1536. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c170030. PMID:30215859.

Narayanan K, Kumar S, Padmanabhan P, Gulyas B, Wan ACA, Rajendran VM. "Lineage-specific exosomes could override extracellular matrix mediated human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation." Biomaterials. 2018 Nov;182:312-322. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.08.027. Epub 2018 Aug 11.PMID:30153612.

Rottgen TS, Nickerson AJ, Minor EA, Stewart AB, Harold AD, Rajendran VM. "Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-induced Chronic Colitis Attenuates Ca2+-activated Cl- Secretion in Murine Colon by Down-regulating TMEM16A." Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2018 Mar 21. doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00328.2017. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:29561662

Rottgen TS, Nickerson AJ, Rajendran VM. "Calcium-Activated Cl- Channel: Insights on the Molecular Identity in Epithelial Tissues." Int J Mol Sci. 2018 May 10;19(5). pii: E1432. doi: 10.3390/ijms19051432. PMID: 29748496

Rajendran VM, Seidler U, Schulzke J. "Chapter-58 Ion Channels of the Gastrointestinal Epithelial Cells in Physiology of the Intestinal Tract, 6th ed", Printed pages: 1363-1404, 2018, Ed. Said HM. Academic Press.

Rajendran VM, Nanda Kumar NS, Tse CM, Binder HJ. "Na-H Exchanger Isoform-2 (NHE2) Mediates Butyrate-dependent Na+ Absorption in Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-induced Colitis." J Biol Chem. 2015 Oct 16;290(42):25487-96. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M115.654277. Epub 2015 Sep 8. PMID: 26350456

Coon S, Rajendran VM, Schwartz J, Singh SK. "Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide-mediated signaling pathways enhance apical PepT1 expression in intestinal epithelial cells". Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 308:G56-62, 2015. PMID:25377315. PMC4281688

O’Hara B, de la Rosa DA, Rajendran VM. "Multiple mineralocorticoid response elements localized in different introns regulate intermediate conductance k+ (kcnn4) channel expression in the rat distal colon". PLoS One. 2014 Jun 5; 9(6):e98695. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098695. eCollection 2014. PMID: 24901797.PMC4047071

Coon S, Schwartz JH, Jepeal L, Rajendran VM, Singh SK. "cAMP-mediated pathway regulates GIP-enhanced peptide absorption in mouse jejunum". Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 305:G678-84, 2013. PMID: 24072682.